Utah Utes hosting former Auburn cornerback on official visit

As Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham looks to check off more items from his transfer portal wish list, reports surfaced Friday that the Utes have lined up a visit with former Auburn cornerback JC Hart.

Per On3’s Pete Nakos, Hart’s visit with Utah is set for Friday night. The 6-foot-2, 199-pound defensive back spent the past two seasons with the Tigers before entering the portal earlier this week.

After appearing in three games and redshirting his freshman season, Hart received minimal playing time in 2024. He appeared in 12 games and recorded five total tackles as a redshirt sophomore.

A former three-star recruit out of Loachapoka (Alabama), Hart was the No. 51-ranked cornerback in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports. A former track star in high school as well, Hart was regarded as one of the fastest players on Auburn’s entire roster last season.

Auburn cornerback JC Hart is scheduled to arrive on a Big 12 visit tonight, a source tells @On3sports.

Intel: https://t.co/P8JI3j8FS2 pic.twitter.com/2PI66R2Zuy
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) April 18, 2025

That speed with his size and frame would make Hart quite the intriguing addition to Utah’s secondary. The Utes signed a pair of corners during the winter cycle in Blake Cotton from UC Davis and Don Saunders from Texas A&M. Former four-star recruit Cameron Calhoun transferred to Alabama in December, while CJ Blocker committed to Colorado State during the winter cycle as well.

Whittingham highlighted Utah’s safety group in the lead up to Saturday’s annual 22 Forever Game, specifically Rabbit Evans, Nate Ritchie and Tao Johnson. When asked what the Utes will look to address during the spring portal window, Whittingham mentioned “a cornerback” after listing off a handful of other positional needs.

Utah's transfer portal class ranks No. 38 in the country, according to On3 Sports, and No. 4 in the Big 12.

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