Utah lands commitment from 3-star cornerback via the transfer portal

Utah continued to retool its secondary Monday with a commitment from South Florida transfer cornerback James Chenault.

CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz first reported the news of Chenault's pledge to the Utes, which came a hours after Morgan Scalley and company signed former Lamar defensive back Nicholas Brown for the 2026 season.

Chenault became the fourth defensive back overall to sign with the Utes during the 2026 transfer cycle, joining safety Marcus Wimberly (Oklahoma), cornerback Elijah Reed (Akron) and Brown.

The Utes were expected to target defensive backs on the open market with Smith Snowden entering the portal and Blake Cotton out of eligibility. Their departures created a couple of holes in a secondary that was stout against the pass in 2025.

Utah, which allowed the lowest completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks among Big 12 teams (49.4%) and the second-fewest passing yards per game (177.8), also lost depth pieces to the portal in LaTristan Thompson, Jaylen Moson and Don Saunders. Not to mention, starting safety Tao Johnson left via the portal as well.

Chenault was a three-star and the No. 69 cornerback available in the portal when he committed to Utah, according to 247Sports. North Carolina and Purdue hosted him on visits after he entered the portal in wake of South Florida's decision to hire former Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline as its head coach.

Chenault was a standout on a Bulls team that finished 2025 with a 9-4 record and ranked No. 3 in the American Athletic Conference in interceptions (14). The Orlando native snagged two picks himself while defending three passes and recording 32 total tackles in nine games played.

Chenault's sophomore season followed a 2024 campaign in which he appeared in all 13 games for the Bulls, recording 12 tackles, one interception and two pass breakups.

A former three-star recruit in the 2024 class, Chenault originally signed with Alex Golesh and the Bulls coming out of Jones High School (Florida). Chenault picked South Florida over competing offers from a handful power conference programs, including Georgia Tech, Iowa State, Louisville, Ole Miss, Purdue, West Virginia and SMU.

Chenault posted 64 total tackles and seven interceptions throughout his high school career, earning the distinction as a top-150 cornerback prospect from 247Sports. Chenault was tabbed as the recruiting service's No. 147 cornerback in the 2024 class.

As of Monday, Utah's 2026 transfer portal class ranked No. 9 in the 16-team Big 12 and No. 44 nationally.

Utah has landed a commitment from USF cornerback transfer James Chenault, his agents @david_benzaken and @IanGrutman tell me and @chris_hummer.

Was a standout as a sophomore at USF this season. In nine games, posted 32 tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups. pic.twitter.com/766BW2ptKY
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 13, 2026

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