For the first time, No. 3 Utah Football will host the No. 7 BYU Cougars in a Holy War bout with both teams ranked inside the top 10 when they meet on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. And while the undefeated Utes look to enter the contest relatively healthy, they’ll be without at least one key contributor.
During his weekly press conference on Monday, Utes coach Morgan Scalley confirmed that offensive lineman Kelvin Obot will miss the remainder of the 2026 college football season. Obot missed Utah’s previous two games against Houston and Cincinnati.
Scalley said he wouldn’t be getting into specifics regarding the injury, per KSL’s Josh Furlong, but confirmed that the Fruitland, Idaho product is done for the year.
Obot Helped the Utes’ O-Line Surprise After Significant Offseason Losses
Obot was arguably the prize of Utah Football’s 2026 recruiting season after earning a five-star rating from On3/Rivals. Moreover, his arrival on the Utes’ front came after the team lost two offensive linemen — Outland Trophy-winner Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu — to the first round of the NFL Draft.
Despite having to compete with a slew of once-overlooked veterans, Obot earned significant playing time in the early season. He went on to start three games for the Utes at left guard, beginning with the team’s Sept. 26 win over the Iowa State Cyclones. Unfortunately, he made an early exit from Utah’s Oct. 17 win over the Colorado Buffaloes.
Initial reporting indicated that Obot suffered an ankle injury. For his part, Scalley noted that Obot appeared to be “fine” in the immediate aftermath, and there was hope he would return before long. More recently, though, Obot and the team found themselves seeking a second medical opinion after it became clear the injury was worse than initially thought.
Scalley and his staffers praised Obot’s resilience as a freshman following his first start against the Cyclones.
“When you’re a freshman, your eyes can start to deceive you a little bit with all that stuff that’s going on,” Utes offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven said later, via the Deseret News. “But I thought he stayed patient when he needed to, he was aggressive when he needed to be and I really liked his head.”
Said Scalley of Obot’s massive potential: “He is very athletic. Eventually we see him moving out to the tackle position. He’s got the athleticism to be able to do it.” Scalley further praised his physicality and aggressiveness.
Entering the campaign, Obot was rated by ESPN as the Big 12 freshman most likely to make an impact. His OL impact score through six games checked in at a respectable 75.4, as tracked by Pro Football Network. He posted his highest single-game mark of the season (78.5) in limited action against the Buffs.
Veterans Roger Alderman and Solatoa Moea’i have filled in for Obot since the injury.
Utes Get Commitment From Local O-Line Star
It wasn’t all bad news for the Utes’ front on Monday, as the team managed to lock up an important piece on the recruiting trail. As reported by On3/Rivals‘ Greg Biggins, Utah has secured a commitment from Draper, Utah product and Corner Canyon OT Moa Brown.
The 6-foot-7, 265-pound Brown previously made the switch from EDGE to the offensive line, as noted by Biggins, earning a three-star rating in the process. According to On3/Rivals, he was offered by the likes of USC, BYU, Arizona State, and more, in addition to the Utes. He previously committed to Fresno State.
Utah Football Announces Season-Ending Injury Ahead of Holy War