Former Utah Utes star signs with NFL team following surprise retirement

A surprising retirement from a three-time All-Pro has opened up a new opportunity for a former Utah defensive back

Former Indianapolis Colts safety and Utah Utes star defensive back Julian Blackmon (32) has signed with the New Orleans Saints. | Grace Hollars/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

In the wake of Tyrann Mathieu announcing his retirement from the NFL, the New Orleans Saints have signed former Utah Utes stud defensive back Julian Blackmon ahead of the team's first training camp practice.

Mathieu's announcement on Tuesday came as a surprise after he attended the Saints' veteran minicamp in June, though New Orleans worked quickly to replace the All-Pro by bringing in the 26-year-old Blackmon to fill the void in the team's secondary.

Blackmon, 26, enters his sixth season in the league. He's recorded 300 tackles, 21 passes defended, 10 interceptions and two forced fumbles across 66 career games, all of which came with the Indianapolis Colts. He played and started in 16 contests last season despite suffering a torn rotator cuff in the season opener.

Injuries hindered Blackmon throughout his tenure with the Colts, the team that drafted him in the third round in 2020 despite a torn ACL he sustained in the Pac-12 title game with the Utes. Blackmon still managed to play in 15 games his rookie season, setting up a promising future after recording two interceptions and six passes defended in the 2020 campaign.

Nov 2, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Utah Utes defensive back Julian Blackmon (23) intercepts a pass intended for Washington Huskies tight end Cade Otton (87) during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. | Jennifer Buchanan-Imagn Images

Then a torn Achilles six games into his second NFL season lingered into the 2022 campaign, forcing Blackmon to play more nickel than free safety. The Colts moved Blackmon to strong safety in 2023, leading to a career-high in tackles (88), interceptions (four) and tackles for loss (five) while playing up closer to the line of scrimmage.

Blackmon, once again at strong safety, tallied 86 tackles and three interceptions this past season. Though he might not provide as much versatility as the Honey Badger once did, Blackmon has the potential to be more effective against the run than he was in 2024, considering he was playing through injury.

Over the course of his four-year college career, Blackmon was voted an All-American once and earned All-Pac-12 honors three times, including twice as a cornerback (2017-18) and once as a safety (2019). He played in 48 games and made 39 starts, recording nine career interceptions and 29 passes defended in those appearances.