The big thing in my mind will be how they survive sans Whitt, something that we appear on the verge of finding out.
But there are already signs of potential struggle even with Kyle Whittingham still at the helm:

--He still drives off OCs and just turned in a year of terrible offense.
--Yes, his star QB got hurt, and it made a huge difference. But how many teams (including ours) have had to deal with that EXACT challenge? Utah failed the test dramatically, as they went down in flames.
--More importantly, in the NIL area, the pipeline of outstanding defenders Utah has established appears more willing than ever to say "Peace out" and chase better opportunities. Utah is ill-positioned to keep up.

Finally, there's a resurgent BYU that's on equal P4 footing. At long last, the school 45 minutes away is proving to be serious about harnessing its own strengths as an institution to contend at a high level on the playing field. We're headed by a likable and respected HC coach who is supported by a rather excellent staff. Players from varying backgrounds and walks of life are having great experiences at BYU and afterwards as part of our alumni network, and we're putting guys in the league all over the field.

All of the above items have not been in effect simultaneously for any length of time over the past couple decades. They are now, and that is an actual problem if you are Utah.