Utes on the rise: Cornerback JaTravis Broughton

With the 2021 Utah Football season now fully in the rearview mirror and spring ball just around the corner, it's time to reflect and review on the notable performances from the season. While players like Cameron Rising, Tavion Thomas, Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell made a lot of the big plays and helped lead the team to their first ever Pac-12 Championship, there were a handful of younger players who made notable contributions and are certainly on the rise for 2022.

The following is a recap and analysis of sophomore JaTravis Broughton, his 2021 contributions, and what potential may lie in store.

A three-star recruit out of high school, Broughton was another significantly overlooked player that Utah identified and did a great job to secure. With just six total offers, Broughton attracted the attention of Texas Tech, Army, Rice, and Pac-12 rival Oregon before committing to Utah.

Unfortunately for Broughton, he sustained an undisclosed season-ending injury against BYU in week two of the 2021 campaign and was sidelined the rest of the year. However, despite being unable to demonstrate his growth after stepping into his second season as a starter, Broughton appeared to be on pace to significantly build upon his impressive 2020 performances and take his game to the next level.

With only two appearances in 2021, Broughton’s contributions were cut significantly short but he still made a notable impact in those two games. Against Weber State and BYU, Broughton registered nine total tackles, seven of which came against the Cougars and included one tackle for loss. He also had two pass break-ups.

Looking back at 2020, Broughton started all five games and finished with 26 tackles, second most amongst the secondary. He also registered a career-high nine tackles later in the season against Oregon State. For his 2020 efforts, Broughton was named a Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention.

Earning a starting position in just his second season with the program and continuing that level of play into the next year is no small feat. Broughton clearly has a lot of untapped potential and is just getting started. With a considerable amount of speed, solid athleticism, good length and a nose for the football, Broughton should be a staple of the secondary whenever he returns.

As for the future, that remains somewhat of a question mark as the details of his injury were never released which leaves no available information for an estimated return. With that being said, if Broughton is able to come back soon, and as long as he can remain healthy, he should rejoin the starters and will finally be able to show his impressive potential over the course of the full 2022 season. Notably, Broughton should remain a sophomore due to the fact he only played in two games.

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