In his 14 seasons as Utah's cornerbacks coach, Sharrieff Shah has seen a lot of receivers pass through the program.
Dres Anderson , Britain Covey , Devaughn Vele , Kenneth Scott and Tim Patrick all stand out over that time period, and Shah gets an up-close and personal look at each of Utah's receivers every day in practice as his cornerbacks battle against them.
The overall talent at receiver has been better in some years than others, and Shah believes this year has the potential to be a special group.
"For the first time in a long time, we've had so many good receivers to help our corners at all positions," Shah said.
So when Shah singled out Utah State transfer receiver Braden Pegan in an interview this week, it carried weight.
Since fall camp started, Pegan has been the focus of several highlights posted by Utah on social media, whether that's hurdling over a would-be tackler or grabbing a 50-50 ball for a touchdown.
Those haven't been the only highlights of his fall camp, either, as Pegan has been a consistent performer.
"If Braden Pegan does what he's been doing to us, which I believe he will. … It not only frustrates you, but you recognize that, all right, if we get a 50-50 ball from him, we've done good. We've done good," Shah said.
Pegan was offered by Utah out of high school, but the California native chose to stay home and play for UCLA . After two seasons and just one reception, though, Pegan knew he needed a change of scenery and a place where he could get on the field.
So he headed east to Logan, Utah, despite it being a pretty big culture change.
"I came from LA, so it was a huge culture change. I had to adapt a lot of things just outside football, but I think it helped me grow so much just being in a different environment," Pegan said.
In Logan, Pegan found an offensive coordinator in Kevin McGiven who recognized his talent and put him on the field. Last season, Pegan was a breakout star for the Aggies, totaling 926 yards and five touchdowns on 60 receptions.
He built a strong connection with former Ute quarterback Bryson Barnes and helped the Aggies to the No. 39 offense in college football.
Pegan was used all over the field but shined on passes that traveled 20 or more yards, catching nine such passes for 295 yards and a touchdown.
"We were able to, based on his learning curve, we were able to move him around a little bit where he could play on the left or the right. He could play inside or outside with the intent to get him targeted a little bit more often, make him a primary receiver," McGiven said of Pegan in February.
McGiven's trust in Pegan made a big impact on him.
"I think it helped me grow so much just being in a different environment, and then also being with coaches that believe in you," Pegan said.
After Morgan Scalley hired McGiven to be Utah's offensive coordinator in January, it was only a matter of time until Pegan followed him.
"Coach McGiven was the first OC that I started under, so following him here only felt natural," Pegan said.
Pegan's familiarity with McGiven's scheme and what he wants out of his receivers gave him a leg up, especially in the spring when the offense was new to the other receivers.
The creativity McGiven displayed in his offense while at Utah State is one of the most exciting things about it for Pegan.
"I can line up anywhere, run any route. We do a lot of different looks in the backfield, a lot of different looks, motions, slot outside, so just a little bit of everything and it's really exciting," Pegan said.
One of the most important areas for a receiver to work on in the offseason is chemistry with his quarterback, especially one like Devon Dampier , who extends plays often.
To further that, Dampier flew his receivers down to his home state of Arizona this offseason to get some work in.
"It was awesome. We got so much work in. He had all of us out there. We were running routes, training with some receiver coaches out there and building that connection, just getting more reps together," Pegan said.
The offseason work between Pegan — and the rest of Utah's receivers — and Dampier seems to have paid off, as the group and Dampier have been on the same page. Dampier even gave his receivers a pre-snap audible based on something they had worked on in the summer when coaches are barred from conducting practices and the play went for a big gain.
"I can line up anywhere, run any route. We do a lot of different looks in the backfield, a lot of different looks, motions, slot outside. So just a little bit of everything and it's really exciting."
"Being a receiver, that's like the majority of your play is just being on the same page with the quarterback, scramble drill, all that stuff," Pegan said. "So definitely being on the same page with him has been awesome."
Since arriving at Utah, Pegan has quickly taken on a leadership role, being named to the fall leadership committee.
"That's one of those dudes that you wish you had 20 of them," Scalley said this spring. "I mean, he's such a good kid, smart football player, athletic, can jump out of the gym, so we're excited to have him."
Chad Bumphis, who returned to Utah from Mississippi State this offseason to become Scalley's wide receivers coach, saw something in Pegan as a high schooler and offered him a scholarship. Of course, Pegan decided to go with the hometown Bruins, but everything has come full circle in 2026 with both people at Utah.
Bumphis has also been impressed with Pegan's leadership.
"BP's been awesome. A true leader, every sense of the word, just understanding what we want to get done, his being familiar with the system," Bumphis said.
"Just as a person, as a player, he's just continued to get more comfortable throughout camp. You've seen him toward the back half of camp make some of those plays that he wasn't making early on."
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Pegan is one of the tallest receiving threats on Utah's roster, and he uses his size to his full advantage in coming down with 50-50 balls. While he will be a big target for Dampier, he also possesses the speed to be a deep threat and the ability to line up in multiple spots. He has sure hands, dropping just two of his 94 targets last season, and has developed chemistry with his quarterback.
With his talent and his familiarity with McGiven's offense, he should be one of Dampier's go-to targets.
If Utah's offense is to reach its full potential, Pegan has to live up to expectations. If he reaches his ceiling, he could be the Utes ' first 1,000-yard receiver since Dres Anderson in 2013.
Utah wide receiver Braden Pegan during spring practice in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Anna Fuder
