Utah’s secondary could spark bounceback season for Utes

The secondary might be Utah’s strongest unit on defense heading into a season in which the Utes want to prove they belong in the Big 12.

The secondary did lose two starters from the team that went 5-7 in its first season in the Big 12. Left cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent and Alaka’i Gilman is gone after starting most of the season at strong safety. Additionally, Cameron Calhoun transferred to Alabama after starting one game at right cornerback and seeing action in all but one other game.

The Utes’ struggles last year were mainly on offense, where injuries hit the skill positions hard. The defense was a Top 30 unit in two key areas: 25th in scoring defense at 20.7 points and 29th in total defense at 329.7 yards.

Utah returns plenty of experienced players at both safety and cornerback. The main players to watch are safeties Tao Johnson and Rabbit Evans, as well as cornerback/nickel back Smith Snowden.

Johnson is well-versed in Morgan Scalley’s defense, having started 23 of 30 career games, 11 at safety and 12 at nickel back. Now a redshirt junior, he came to Utah as a wide receiver and switched to defense in 2023. He displayed his athleticism last year with a 77-yard touchdown return on a blocked field goal in a home win against Baylor.

He started 11 of 12 games last year at free safety and led the secondary with 70 tackles, which was good for second on the team. He had one interception and forced one fumble. He played in all 13 games in 2023 with 12 starts, primarily at nickel back.

Evans, a senior, worked his way into the starting lineup at strong safety in the last three games of his first season at Utah after transferring from a Texas JC. Overall he made five starts, finishing with 34 tackles, including two for loss, and one pass breakup. He had a career-high 12 tackles in a start against Iowa State.

Utah Utes safety Rabbit Evans. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Evans had a good spring and is looking forward to second year as a Ute.

“I’m comfortable now. Getting those reps really helped my confidence, and now, having this spring to work on everything, I’m starting to really get comfortable,” he said.

Looking to contribute this season is Nate Ritchie, a sophomore from Cedar Hills. After going on an LDS mission after the 2020 season, he played in 12 games in 2023, including three starts, and played in 11 games last year, on defense and special teams.

Snowden, a junior from Lehi, emerged last season when he played mostly nickel back, appearing in all 12 games and starting 11. He had 48 tackles, including four for loss, and two interceptions, including one for 13-yard pick six in the season finale at UCF, when the Utes snapped an ugly seven-game losing streak that derailed their first season in the Big 12. He added kick return duties in the final four games.

Southern Utah Thunderbirds tight end Joshua Acord (88) is tackled by Utah Utes cornerback Smith Snowden (2). | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Snowden followed up his breakout season with an impressive spring and “shouldn’t leave the field, as good as he is,” Scalley said.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham said during spring drills that Snowden will play mostly nickel back this fall, with returnee Scooby Davis at one cornerback spot and newcomers Blake Cotton and redshirt junior Don Saunders competing for playing time at the other cornerback spot.

Davis made nine starts last season at right cornerback and played in all 12 games. He had 29 tackles and two interceptions.

Saunders played at Texas A&M last year after two seasons at Cal Poly. Cotton, a senior, played three seasons at another Big Sky school, UC Davis.

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