CEDAR CITY, Utah — Southern Utah football has reached the heart of fall camp, and through nine practices, the Thunderbirds continue to see steady progress as they prepare for the 2026 season and their return to the Big Sky Conference.
SUU held its first scrimmage of camp last Friday, allowing the coaching staff to evaluate the team in a more game-like setting.
The scrimmage featured a back-and-forth battle between the team's top units, with the defense finding a way to bend without breaking early in the session.
"The Red unit has some really talented players, and that group is made up of guys who are at or near the top of the depth chart," SUU head coach Fitzgerald said. "They played well, executed well and competed at a high level. There was a lot of good competition out there."
"Our defense bent a little bit on those first couple drives, but didn't break," Fitzgerald said. "They held the offense to field goals, so that was positive."
While the top units continue to push one another, Fitzgerald said the development of the team's younger players remains an important focus as camp progresses.
"We've got some twos and threes that need to learn the calls, need to give better effort and need to play with more physicality so they can close that gap between them and the Red group," he said.
One of the most competitive position battles has been at running back, where Fitzgerald expects multiple players to play significant roles this season.
Floyd Chalk and Camury Reid have emerged as the top two backs early in camp, while Ran Sawyer, Talmage Brown, Nico Alailefaleula, and Isaiah Hemmings continue to battle for additional reps.
"If you were making me guess, we're going to be a little more of a two- or three-headed monster at the tailback position than we've been in the past," Fitzgerald said.
The Thunderbirds have also continued to evaluate a defensive backfield that Fitzgerald believes possesses both athleticism and talent.
"We're athletic, and we're talented in the defensive backfield," Fitzgerald said following Friday's scrimmage. "We have to up our level of aggression; we have to be more assertive back there."
That same emphasis on physicality and playing faster has carried into the second week of camp.
"We've got to play faster," Fitzgerald said. "We have to play faster and play with more physicality in the next week or two."
That progress has been particularly evident along the defensive front, where the Thunderbirds are working to develop a new-look group while replacing significant production from a year ago.
"We're a work in progress up front, and kind of a new look, and there are some new faces," Fitzgerald said. "But they're playing hard, and I do think they're progressing each day."
The defensive end position faces the challenge of replacing All-American Lando Brown, who finished his SUU career as one of the more productive defensive players in program history.
"If we're being honest with this thing, we're trying to replace one player," Fitzgerald said. "We're trying to replace a 5-8, 219-pound All-American defensive end that nobody could block."
While replacing Brown is a significant challenge, Fitzgerald has been encouraged by the progress of the players competing for those snaps.
Miles Amey, who returns for his final campaign, has impressed during camp, while Aiden Hall has continued to establish himself as a contributor. Colton Swanson has also been a strong addition to the defensive end room, with Kealamaikahiki Loo and others competing for playing time.
Fitzgerald also praised defensive ends coach Josh Runda, who joined the Thunderbirds' staff this offseason.
"Coach Runda is a professional and is a good football coach, and most of his life, he's coached somewhere in the front seven," Fitzgerald said. "So him coaching the defensive ends for us is kind of a natural fit. He's doing a nice job coaching those guys, and they're improving daily."
As camp has progressed, the Thunderbirds have also continued to build chemistry within a roster that features a significant number of new faces.
With the transfer portal becoming an increasingly important part of roster construction, Fitzgerald acknowledged that there is naturally an adjustment period as players get to know one another.
Still, he has been pleased with the culture developing inside the program.
"I think our culture's really strong," Fitzgerald said. "I think our kids are practicing hard. The competition's been really good so far."
Monday marked the ninth practice of fall camp, bringing the Thunderbirds into what Fitzgerald described as the "dog days" of camp.
For Fitzgerald, the team's continued energy and high-level competition were another positive sign.
"If there was going to be a big lull, it was going to be today, and we didn't have a big lull today," Fitzgerald said.
With the season opener now approaching, the focus remains on continuing to close the gap between positions, developing the defensive front and building the speed and physicality the Thunderbirds will need when the games begin.
The Thunderbirds open the 2026 season on August 29, when they travel to the University of Montana. The game marks the first back in the Big Sky Conference for the Thunderbirds.
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Single game and season tickets for the upcoming Southern Utah Football campaign are now available, giving fans the chance to lock in their seats for an exciting new era in Cedar City. With the Thunderbirds' return to the Big Sky, now is the time to secure your spot at Eccles Coliseum and be part of the action all season long. For more information and to purchase, visit tbirdtickets.com.
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