Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 66-14vs Idaho | 4 | 81 | 20.3 | 1 | 31 | Season-high 81 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 43-10vs Arkansas | 3 | 32 | 10.7 | 0 | 14 | |
| Total | 7 | 113 | 15.5 | 1 | 31 |
#7
Braden Pegan
Senior wide receiver for Utah. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 210 lb · San Juan Capistrano, CA · San Juan Hills HS
CFB Index 77 · #48 of 485 WRsHigh confidenceWatch-list name (model)Transferred Utah State → Utah for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
113
receiving yards · 2026
7 catches · 1 TD · 16.1 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 7 rec · 147 yds · 2 TD -- top 1% receiving yards game. -- Best game: 4 rec, 81 yds, 1 TD, vs Idaho
Swing playSwung Utah State from 35% to 65% to win.Utah State at Fresno State · 28-17
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 wide receiver for Utah. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to UCLA in 2022.
- Transferred from Utah State to Utah in 2026.
Braden Pegan
Moves the chains on third down. Braden Pegan has played for three head coaches across three seasons and three programs. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Mountain West. One game to point at: 81 rec yds, 12 rush yds against Idaho — Week 1, 2026.
113 REC YDS · 7 REC · 1 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
The week the volume broke through — put up 147 yds vs Air Force.Air Force · W 49-302025
2022
- Signed with UCLA3-star out of San Juan Hills
202512 games
- Entered the portal
- All-Mountain Westfirst
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥈
ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST · 1ST TEAM
All-Mountain West 1st team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Kyle Whittingham → Morgan Scalley. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Utah
2025Utah State
2026Utah
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023UCLA8-5HC: Chip Kelly · Run-leaning
2025Utah State6-7HC: Bronco Mendenhall · Balanced
2026Utah2-0HC: Morgan Scalley · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the WR cohort
Box-score percentiles
High confidence
Elite: rush tds (100th percentile). Strength: rush yards (83rd percentile). Concern: receptions (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (7)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 3.5 REC/g, 56.5 YDS/g, 15.5 YPR, 0.5 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Morgan Scalley
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Watch-list name (model)
Our Heisman model has him inside the top 25; he is not on a published award watch list yet.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah | 7 | 113 | 16.1 | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Utah State | 60 | 925 | 15.4 | 5 | -- |
| 2023 | UCLA | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 68 | 1,045 | 15.4 | 6 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah | 1 | 12 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Utah State | 4 | 11 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | UCLA | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 5 | 23 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 66–14
vs Idaho
12 rush yds (1 car) · 1 TD
Dominant 52-point win at home against Idaho.
With D. Dampier — 176 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 93.5 · 31 rush yds (6 car) · B. Ficklin — 93 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 80.1 · 70 rush yds (8 car)
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 1 · Idaho · 3&6 · Q2 · EPA +2.84(04:43) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.Dampier pass complete short right to #7 B.Pegan caught at IDA05, for 7 yards to the IDA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 04:39, 1ST DOWN #17 D.Curtis kick attempt good (H: #92 O.Phillips, LS: #65 L.Castor)
- Week 1 · Idaho · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.53(13:21) No Huddle #7 B.Pegan rush right for 12 yards gain to the IDA00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 13:15, 1ST DOWN #17 D.Curtis kick attempt good (H: #92 O.Phillips, LS: #65 L.Castor)
- Week 2 · Arkansas · 2&7 · Q2 · EPA +1.96(13:00) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.Dampier pass complete short right to #7 B.Pegan caught at UTA45, for 14 yards to the Ark48 (#20 J.Johnson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Arkansas · 2&6 · Q3 · EPA +1.36(10:29) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.Dampier pass complete short middle to #7 B.Pegan caught at UTA48, for 9 yards to the Ark49 (#6 K.House; #4 L.Roland), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho · 1&10 · Q1 · EPA +0.77(01:49) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.Dampier pass complete deep right to #7 B.Pegan caught at IDA13, for 31 yards to the IDA11 (#7 A.Kinsey), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho · 1&10 · Q3 · EPA +0.76(13:40) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.Dampier pass complete deep right to #7 B.Pegan caught at IDA13, for 30 yards to the IDA12 (#5 M.Roberson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Idaho · 2&1 · Q2 · EPA +0.73(09:11) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.Dampier pass complete short right to #7 B.Pegan caught at UTA40, for 13 yards to the UTA47 (#4 K.Rawls), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Arkansas · 3&22 · Q3 · EPA +0.24(09:04) No Huddle-Shotgun #4 D.Dampier pass complete short right to #7 B.Pegan caught at UTA48, for 9 yards to the UTA48 (#20 J.Johnson)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Possession Receiver
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
WR
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Corey Xavier Sutton’s 2021 season.
Matches Corey on
Weight
Total EPA (college ability)
Yards / reception
Through 2 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Joseph Ngata’s path through Clemson.
Matches Joseph on
Height
Yards per reception
Weight
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Emeka Emezie's sophomore season at NC State (2021).
79%match
All-ACC
Matches Emeka on
Weight
Yards / reception
TD rate
Differs from Emeka on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Braden Pegan
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2026
Peak #98
Peaked at #98 this season.
Background
Prior to Utah: Was at Utah State for the 2025 season, after beginning his collegiate career at UCLA (2022-24). Earned First Team All-Mountain West honors during the 2025 season at Utah State, becoming just the third Aggies wide receiver to earn first-team All-Mountain West Started 11 of the 12 ga...
The receiver room · Utah
- #7Braden Pegan925 receiving yards · 2025
- Kyri Shoels768 receiving yards · 2025
- #12Larry Simmons280 receiving yards · 2025
- #18Tobias Merriweather130 receiving yards · 2025
- #2Creed Whittemore92 receiving yards · 2025
8 more on the roster · Utah team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology