Who will play in secondary for Utah in Las Vegas Bowl?
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Utah’s going to be a little bit thinner in the secondary for the Las Vegas Bowl against Northwestern on Saturday.
Starting safeties Sione Vaki and Cole Bishop have declared for the NFL draft and starting cornerback JaTravis Broughton has entered the transfer portal, though some signs point toward him playing in the bowl game.
“Guys are going to leave for the NFL, guys are going to hit the portal. That’s the new normal and that’s something that we’ve explained to our guys and that’s why you recruit and you develop and you manage. And we’ve got a good group. We’re fired up for this opportunity.” — Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley
Cornerbacks Faybian Marks (28 snaps at cornerback in 2023), Kenzel Lawler (three snaps at cornerback in 2023) and Jocelyn Malaska (all snaps on special teams) have all entered the transfer portal.
Safeties Jadon Pearson (all snaps on special teams) and Darrien “Bleu” Stewart (all snaps on special teams) also entered the portal.
“You have to be able to control what you can control,” defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley said. “Guys are going to leave for the NFL, guys are going to hit the portal. That’s the new normal and that’s something that we’ve explained to our guys and that’s why you recruit and you develop and you manage. And we’ve got a good group. We’re fired up for this opportunity.”
The extra practice that comes with making a bowl game is valuable for the younger players that didn’t get as much playing time during the season to continue to develop their game, and with the transfers, some of those players will be playing against Northwestern.
At safety, the two starters will likely be Nate Ritchie and Johnathan Hall.
Ritchie started all five games in the 2020 season before serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. After missing spring ball with an injury, Ritchie impressed in fall camp and started two games this season, filling in for Bishop during the first half of the USC game when Bishop had to sit out to due a targeting call in the prior game and at Arizona. The Lone Peak product played 154 snaps this year, third among Utah’s safeties, and has 15 tackles and a sack.
“I’ve just been trying to do all I can just to prepare myself so I can play for the team, so I can help the team out as best I can,” Ritchie said about starting in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Hall has played 55 snaps this season at safety, totaling 14 tackles. The three-star recruit out of Katy, Texas, has been praised, along with Ritchie, this season.
“I’m very excited, man. It’s a blessing. I’m so happy. I’m happy and I’m excited for what’s coming. ... Coach Scalley, I know he’ll do what he need to do for us to come out with the win,” Hall said.
Utah fans could be getting a glimpse at the future of the safety position in Las Vegas.
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Ritchie and Hall have had the chance to learn from two NFL-level safeties this year in Bishop and Vaki.
“I learned so much from just the mental prep of how they come into each day and work hard and their practice habits. I feel like I’ll be trying to incorporate their’s into mine,” Hall said.
Ritchie also highlighted the two safeties’ preparation as something that made an impact on him
“I’ve learned a lot. It’s been really fun to be behind them and to get to see just how they do things on and off the field,” Ritchie said. “Cole and Vaki, they’re both pretty much gurus at film watching, so it’s been fun to get in and watch film with them, see what they’re looking at as well as on the field to see what they’re looking at, beyond just the play-call tendencies that they’ve been looking at on film and just going for them.”
Aside from Ritchie and Hall, Briton Allen, the junior transfer from USC, hasn’t seen time at safety this year but is an option. He’s been getting reps in Utah’s pre-bowl practices.
Tao Johnson, who has played primarily at nickleback this season, but has played 105 snaps at safety, is another good option in the backend for Utah. He has 30 tackles (1.5 tackles for loss) and four pass breakups this season. In 2024, Johnson could potentially move to playing primarily safety.
At cornerback, things should be be generally status quo.
Zemaiah Vaughn, who is returning for the 2024 season, will start at one outside corner spot.
Most positions on Utah’s recently-released depth chart look to be pretty accurate. Transfer and NFL-bound starters like wide receivers Mikey Matthews and Devaughn Vele, safeties Bishop and Vaki, left guard Keaton Bllls and right tackle Sataoa Laumea are not listed on the two-deep. Bryson Barnes, who entered the transfer portal but is still playing in the bowl game, is still listed as a starter, along with Broughton.
Additionally, Utah cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah said that Elijah Davis is the only “young” cornerback that has been practicing with the main team, with the other players on the scout team, which points to Broughton playing in the bowl.
“Elijah Davis, who’s really showing some progress, some development, a little bit of maturity,” cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah said.
Davis has played 12 snaps at cornerback this season.
“Things aren’t taking him by surprise,” Shah said. “There’s some familiarity and consistency in how he processes the information and then how he applies his technique. So you want to see that, and when I see that more often, I get confidence, my defensive coordinator gets confidence, the head coach trusts him to be on the field and that’s what I’m starting to see from him.
Utes on the air
Utah (8-4, 5-4 Pac-12)
vs. Northwestern (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten)
Saturday, 5:30 p.m. MST
Allegiant Stadium
TV: ABC
Radio: ESPN 700/92.1 FM
Even though cornerback Miles Battle is out of eligibility after the season and is looking toward the NFL draft, he will still play in the Las Vegas Bowl.
“Every game, you’re putting your resume on film and this is something that he’s excited for and man, what a joy it’s been to have him for a year. I wish we had him longer,” Scalley said. “The development that you’ve seen in him, he loves the connection he has to his teammates and every opportunity you get, you’re putting your resume on film. He’s a long levered corner that NFL scouts are intrigued with.”
Johnson should start at nickel back, but could rotate to safety depending on the situation, with Smith Snowden, who has seen time at nickel back the last four games, sliding into the position.
