MaxPreps 2015 Utah preseason high school football Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Early Contenders - No. 13 Bingham (UT)
See how MaxPreps unveiled the No. 13 team in the nation.


1. Bingham (South Jordan)
Coach: John Lambourne
2014 finish: 13-2
Team preview

Dave Peck retired after the 2014 season, but the Miners should not skip a beat with his longtime assistant John Lambourne at the helm. Bingham is loaded with skill and experience on both sides of the ball.

Senior quarterback Keaton Torre brings a strong arm and plenty of experience to the offense. He totaled 2,822 yards, 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over two seasons in Oklahoma before moving to Utah. Jahvontay Smith, Brady Atkin and Elvis Vakapuna are in the mix to replace Cameron Smith as the lead running back.

Defensively, Bingham is stacked. Oregon commit Langi Tuifua and Jay Tufele anchor the defensive line. Parker Workman could produce an even bigger season at linebacker. As a junior, he had a team-best 13.5 sacks and totaled 81 tackles.
 
Bingham has reached a point where winning state titles is simply a normal way of life – even if the coaching staff always remains cautiously optimistic.

"It's always hard to judge what the returning guys can do without the guys that left," Lambourne said. "It's not about just how many talented players you have. It's about how they complement each other in covering up weaknesses and magnifying strengths. We'll go in and open the package and see what we've got, but we know it's going to be pretty good."

See the Top 10 teams with the most all-time Utah state titles

2. Timpview (Provo)
Coach: Cary Whittingham
2014 finish: 14-0
Team preview

Can anyone stop Timpview from extending a state-best 26 game overall winning streak, 56-game region winning streak and claiming another state title? It could feel like an impossible task for the rest of Class 4A.

Defense is once again a strong point for Timpview. BYU commit Keenan Pili tallied 73 tackles as a junior. Middle linebacker Nate Richardson is the team's top returning tackler with 89 tackles last fall. Will Watanabe led the team with five interceptions in 2014.

On offense, the T-Birds must find a way to replace Britain Covey. As a senior, Covey threw for 2,602 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,640 yards and 26 touchdowns.

"You don't replace him," Timpview coach Cary Whittingham said. "You just find another guy to play the position and figure out his strengths and utilize them."

Brighton transfer Kahi Neves will have the task of trying to fill Covey's shoes. Neves brings a strong arm, and though he's not as elusive as Covey, he's still quick enough to be an effective dual-threat quarterback. Neves also has a deep stable of receivers, led by Samson Nacua, to stretch defenses.

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3. Brighton (Salt Lake City)
Coach: Ryan Bullet
2014 finish: 10-2
Team preview
 
Being a FBS talent pipeline is not enough. Brighton is gunning for a region championship and wants to knock Bingham from its Class 5A perch. The Bengals have all the right ingredients to be the Miners' biggest threat.

"We feel like there is a lot of positive energy and positive chemistry going on in the program," Brighton coach Ryan Bullet said.

Brighton definitely will not lack firepower on offense. Drew Jensen will start at quarterback for the first time in two years. Jensen, a BYU commit, led the Bengals to a 5-0 start in 2013 before breaking his hand. He'll have plenty of help in moving the ball.

Simi Fehoko returns at receiver after an outstanding junior season where he tallied a state-record 24 touchdown receptions and 1,656 yards on 65 catches. Leading rusher Sione Heimuli-Lund is also back after piling up 1,132 all-purpose yards as a junior.

Defensively, Brighton anticipates being a little stronger. Osa Masina is gone, but standouts such as Heimuli-Lund and Jackson Kaufusi will keep that side of the ball in good shape. Like many of their predecessors, both are being highly recruited by several notable FBS programs.

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4. Corner Canyon (Draper)
Coach: Donald Eck
2014 finish: 12-1
Team preview

What can you do for an encore after a perfect regular season? Corner Canyon hopes that the answer involves claiming the school's first Class 4A football title.

The Chargers will deal with some inexperience after graduating many stars on both sides of the ball. Replacing Riley Ogden may be the toughest task, as he rushed for 1,810 yards and 16 touchdowns on 252 carries a year ago to lead the offense. Cameron Forte, Dallin Lee, Jason Adams and Tyler Critchfield will all have a shot in the backfield.

Hayden Borg, a junior, will step in at quarterback. Kyle Reaveley and Zach Wilson are also in the mix. New receivers Nathan Cutler, Chase Meyer and Braxton Coon will be his primary targets.

Keaton Bills will be a key leader on defense. Bills had 41 tackles and four sacks in 2014. The senior lineman is one of only two returning starters on both sides of the ball. Still, Corner Canyon has enough overall depth at key positions to make life tough on opponents once again.

"We're much stronger and much bigger as an entire group from last year," Chargers coach Don Eck said. "It provides much more depth for us. These kids are working hard. They know the legacy of those first two seasons and they want to continue it. They want to keep winning."

See last season's Utah football computer rankings

5. Herriman (West Herriman)
Coach: Dustin Pearce
2014 finish: 8-4
Team preview

Smash-mouth football is what Herriman does best. There's no reason to think the Mustangs can't keep going in 2015, even while replacing several standouts from a year ago.

It all starts with a deep backfield. Two of the team's top three rushers from a year ago return. Kaden Hayward and Kaden Strasters combined for 1,329 yards and 16 touchdowns as juniors last fall. Brig Rush adds extra teeth to the ground attack.

Defense should be an area of strength for Herriman. The Mustangs have several experienced and hard-hitting linebackers. Cody Eldridge, Matt Everton and Peniamina Mobley combined for 164 tackles a season ago and Eldridge led the team with four interceptions. Tomasi Tonga, Tanner Rosenhan and Noah Vaea are expected to anchor a strong secondary.

Vaea, in particular, is poised for even bigger things after he finished with 52 tackles and three interceptions as a sophomore last year.

John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact John at john_coon@hotmail.com and can follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports