Last summer, the buzz around Utah’s offensive line was impossible to miss. The Utes were bringing back all five starters from the 2024 season, and Kyle Whittingham said the group could be the best he’s ever had. That kind of praise comes with expectations, and one of the few questions hanging over the unit was at center.
Jaren Kump answered that question in a big way. The 6'6 redshirt senior had already spent time at every spot on the line, but he had not yet separated himself as a top-tier player.
Then last fall, everything clicked. Kump put together the best season of his career, earned All Big-12 Honorable Mention recognition, and later signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.
That leaves Utah looking for a new anchor in the middle.
The job now appears to be Alex Harrison’s to lose. At 6'5 and 309 pounds, the graduate student stepped in as Kump’s backup last season and even made a start against Cal Poly. He played in nine games overall, and Utah’s line kept rolling when he was on the field.
Harrison’s path to this point has been a long one. He is entering his seventh season with the program, and his first three years brought only two appearances.
In 2023, he played in 11 games, but all of them came in a reserve role or on special teams. He did not see the field at all in 2024, then won the backup center job in 2025.
Now, in 2026, Harrison has a real chance to become one of the Utes who finally gets meaningful snaps. Zereoue Williams and Keith Olsen are also deep into their Utah careers, entering their sixth and fifth years with the program, and both are likely to start based on how they played late last year. Harrison’s standing inside the program got another boost in March, when he was named to the team’s leadership council.
In spring media availability, he showed the kind of steady, calm presence Utah wants from the player handling the middle of the line.
Devon Dampier have a historic season in Salt Lake.
In Other News...
Morgan Scalley Just Gave Utah Fans Their First Real Clue
Morgan Scalleys first Big 12 media days as Utahs head coach offered the clearest look yet at how he plans to steer the program into a new era without losing what made it work in the first place. He talked about preserving the physical, family-oriented culture that has defined Utah football, while also putting his own stamp on the operation through changes in strength and conditioning, recruiting and the way the offense is built.
The bigger question now is how much of that transition will show up on the field once the season starts. Scalley made it clear he wants the Utes to keep the toughness and defensive edge associated with Kyle Whittinghams long run, but he also sounded intent on doing things differently in key areas, and he said the players have already embraced his vision for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]