Football | 7/23/2026 3:56:00 PM
Utah Tech Trailblazer football is set to open its 2026 fall camp this upcoming Wednesday, July 29, at Greater Zion Stadium in preparation for its debut season in the Big Sky Conference.
Under the direction of third-year head coach
Lance Anderson (Idaho State, 1997), Utah Tech will hold 15 practices, along with two scrimmages, over the next four weeks in advance of the Trailblazers' 21
st NCAA-era season opener at home vs. defending NCAA Division I FCS champion and Big Sky power Montana State on Saturday, August 29.
All practice sessions are closed to the public, and media members are asked to contact Utah Tech Associate AD for Media Relations
Steve Johnson to request practice access and interview availability.
The 2026 Roster
Utah Tech will open fall camp with 115 players on the roster, including 60 combined returning letter winners and redshirts overall. Of the 60 returnees, 13 are returning starters (O-7, D-7), along with two specialists.
The Trailblazers welcomed back two quarterbacks from last season's squad, including junior Bronson Barbon (6-4, 215; St. George, Utah), who threw for 1,682 on 58.7 percent passing and six touchdowns in 10 games a year ago.
Fifth-year signal caller
Deacon Hill (6-4, 245; Santa Barbara, Calif.) is also back in the quarterback room after he missed the entire 2025 season due to injury. Meanwhile, Utah State transfer
CJ Tiller (6-2, 210; Gilbert, Ariz.), junior college transfer
Max Grizzell (6-3, 205; San Marino, Calif.), and freshman
Justus Platts (6-0, 190; Mountain View, Wyo.) make up the rest of the position group.
Utah Tech also returns three offensive linemen, highlighted by sophomore
Matthew Snarr (6-5, 315; Draper, Utah) who started all 12 games at right tackle as a true freshman last season. Fellow sophomore
Cade Draper (6-1, 280; Roy, Utah) started the final nine games of the year, including six starts at center, while sophomore
Pesi Fonua (6-3, 303; Herriman, Utah) got the starting nod at left guard in the final five games of the 2025 campaign.
At the skill positions, junior
Ace Chatman (5-11, 195; Lake Elsinore, Calif.) is back after serving as Utah Tech's starting running back in 10 of the 11 games he appeared in last season. Chatman rushed for 536 yards on 121 carries (4.4 ypc) with a team-high five touchdowns, and led the offense with 713 all-purpose yards (64.8 ypg).
Junior tight end
Kaden Eggett (6-3, 230; Kaysville, Utah) is also back after he hauled in 23 passes for 259 yards in 12 games (9 starts) last year.
On defense, sophomore inside linebacker
Daylen Love (6-3, 220; San Jacinto, Calif.) returns after enjoying a breakout freshman campaign in 2025. Love started in eight of the 10 games he played as a true freshman and is Utah Tech's top returning tackler with 60 total stops, including 4.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks.
Meanwhile, senior outside linebacker
Will Alovao (6-3, 230; Kapolei, Hawai'i) led the Blazer defense with 8.5 TFLs, including 2.0 sacks, and tallied 33 total tackles in nine games (7 starts) last year.
Utah Tech also returned fifth-year starters in defensive lineman
Fasitootai Sagapolu (6-2, 305; St. George, Utah) and safety
Brevin Czosnyka (6-3, 195; Glendale, Ariz.). Sagapolu started in all 12 games at defensive end and racked up 48 total tackles along with 3.5 TFLs, while Czosnyka tallied 50 total stops with one interception and two pass breakups in 11 starts.
The Blazers' defense will also be bolstered by a trio of talented junior who recorded multiple starts a season ago, including defensive backs
Jeremiah Jimoh (6-1, 175; Salt Lake City, Utah/27 tackles/team-high 5 PBUs) and
River Moore (5-11, 185; Saratoga Springs, Utah/48 tackles/1.5 TFLs/1.0 sack/2 PBUs), and ILB
Moe Passi (6-1, 215; Honolulu, Hawai'i/42 tackles/2.5 TFLs/1 forced fumble).
On special teams, senior punter
Ryan Marks (6-0, 235; Farmington, Utah) put together a stellar season in 2025, during which he broke Utah Tech's single season and career records in punt yardage with a 46.4 ypp average (40.26 ypp net) on his way to second team all-United Athletic Conference honors.
In addition, Marks was named to the 2026 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Third Team.
2026 Newcomers
In all, Utah Tech welcomes 55 newcomers to fall camp, 10 of whom are four-year transfers (O-5, D-5), including Tiller,
Isaiah Brown (DB – Utah);
Bryce Carroll (OL – Wisconsin-Osh Kosh);
Tanner Crandall (WR – UT-Martin);
Abe Jager (DB – Utah State);
Jax Jones (OLB – Utah);
Aiden McComber (OLB – Hawai'i);
Isaac McMullin (WR – Southern Virginia);
Leka Tu'akoi (OLB – Idaho State); and
Mike Williams (WR – Southeastern Louisiana), all of whom will look to make immediate impacts in their new home.
The Trailblazers also brought in 12 junior college transfers (O-8, D-4), and will have 33 freshmen (O-12, D-19, ST-2) ready to go when camp opens on Wednesday.
2026 Home Schedule and Season Ticket Information
Season tickets for the 2026 home schedule are currently on sale now.
The Trailblazers' 2026 home slate features five home games at Greater Zion Stadium, beginning with the home opener vs. Montana State on Saturday, August 29.
Utah Tech will also play host to Big Sky foe Northern Arizona in a non-conference game on Saturday, Sept. 19, before gearing up for their annual "Battle For The Axe" showdown vs. in-state rival, and fellow Big Sky newcomer, Southern Utah on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Later in the fall, the Trailblazers will square off against Big Sky opponent Idaho State on Halloween Saturday (Oct. 31), before closing their home slate with a conference date vs. Eastern Washington on Saturday, Nov. 14.
In addition, 2026 Utah Tech football single game tickets will be available for purchase on Saturday, August 1.
For more information on purchasing Trailblazer football season tickets, please contact the Utah Tech Ticket Office at 435-652-7800, or visit
https://utahtech.evenue.net/events/FB.
