Author: Jesse

There was a sense of optimism mixed in with doses of reality when Utah cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah met with local reporters last week to discuss his players prior to the first day of fall camp.

On one side:

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• The Utes have returning starters at two of the three cornerback positions in reliable veterans Smith Snowden and Scooby Davis.

• Utah hit the transfer portal hard and brought in a mix of size and versatility to help bolster the position.

• There are some intriguing younger options — not unlike when Davis and Snowden were once depth pieces looking to make an impact.

On the other hand:

• There’s the reality that Shah expects more from his group — from Davis and Snowden all the way down to the new players, both transfers and freshmen.

• This group needs to find a reliable starter on the outside opposite Davis, after Zemaiah Vaughn exhausted his eligibility and is now in the NFL, while Cam Calhoun transferred to Alabama. Vaughn, in particular, was an all-conference corner with 36 career starts.

• Sorting out the other starting outside cornerback is a priority for Utah, one that coach Kyle Whittingham said he’d like to have solved “earlier rather than later” in fall camp.

Still, that realistic undertone isn’t stopping excitement to permeate into what’s possible for Utah at the cornerback position this season.

That’s understandable, considering Shah’s successful track record of developing pro-caliber corners. Former Utes like Jaylon Johnson and Clark Phillips III are now thriving in the NFL.

Shah, who’s headed into his 14th season at Utah, believes this year’s group has a high amount of “viable candidates” who could make an impact in the Utes secondary.

“I’m excited because there are legitimate kids that can really factor into a game right now, that’s what I’m excited about,” he said. “Having gone through the summer, met with our guys and been able to see their level of understanding and how quickly they’ve been able to digest the defense, that’s promising.

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“I haven’t had so many viable candidates in a long time, so that’s at least pleasing.”

Who does Utah have at cornerback?

Here’s how the Utes’ cornerbacks room breaks down, by eligibility:

Senior

• *Blake Cotton — 6-foot-2, 190 pounds

Redshirt junior

• *Rock Caldwell — 6-foot-3, 172 pounds

• Scooby Davis — 6-foot, 182 pounds

• *Don Saunders — 6-foot-4, 187 pounds

Junior

• Smith Snowden — 5-foot-10, 180 pounds

Redshirt sophomore

• *JC Hart — 6-foot-2, 199 pounds

Sophomore

• Isaiah Brown — 5-foot-9, 172 pounds

Redshirt freshman

• LaTristan Thompson — 5-foot-10, 173 pounds

Freshmen

• *Jaylen Moson — 5-foot-11, 173 pounds

• Cole Standage — 6-foot-3, 195 pounds

• Jason Stokes Jr. — 6-foot-1, 163 pounds

* Indicates incoming transfer this offseason

Who will lead this group?

The 6-foot Davis and 5-foot-10 Snowden both enter the 2025 campaign as second-year starters and will be asked to carry a lot of the leadership at cornerback alongside a pair of experienced safeties in Tao Johnson and Rabbit Evans.

Davis had seen minimal action over his first two seasons at Utah, before stepping into a bigger role last year. When one starter, Kenan Johnson, was lost for the season in the Utes’ opener to an injury, he was asked to take on more of the load.

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Davis ended up starting nine games at outside corner opposite Vaughn, and he finished the year with 29 tackles, two interceptions and 2.5 third-down stops.

Snowden, meanwhile, was Utah’s primary nickel back, starting 11 games at the position. He’s a breakout star, as evidenced by the fact Snowden was one of four Utes who represented the team at Big 12 media days last month.

During his first season as a starter, the Skyridge High product accounted for 48 tackles, four tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, a pair of interceptions and a forced fumble.

His 10 passes defended tied for ninth in the Big 12 during the regular season.

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Earlier this year, Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley said Snowden will rarely come off the field — when the Utes go to just two corners on the field, he’s likely to slide over to the outside much of the time.

“From Smith and Scooby, I would want more — more plays, more consistency, better man coverage, better zone drops, and then, as they become better, pull everybody along, pull everybody in that room along.”

Utah cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah

Between Davis and Snowden, there’s a solid base for Shah to build his cornerback group around this year.

“They have some experience, and because of that, they are at least more consistent than the other players, because the other guys that are in the room just haven’t been under the lights in our defense, going through some of the things that we’re going to ask them to do,” Shah said of Davis and Snowden.

In a group where seven of 11 players in the cornerback room are new to Utah football this season, though, Shah wants — and expects — more from his two leaders.

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“From Smith and Scooby, I would want more — more plays, more consistency, better man coverage, better zone drops, and then, as they become better, pull everybody along, pull everybody in that room along,” he said.

Fall camp will provide plenty of opportunities to do just that, before Utah opens its season at UCLA on Aug. 30.

Who else will step up?

Utah hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, to help counter the fact that Vaughn and Calhoun are no longer in Salt Lake City.

In the spring, Blake Cotton (transfer from UC Davis), Don Saunders (Texas A&M) and Rock Caldwell (Garden City Community College) had their chance to get up to speed with the Utes’ defense.

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Following spring practice, JC Hart (transfer from Auburn) and Jaylen Moson (Furman) made the decision to join the Utes.

That’s an intriguing level of new transfer talent, and Shah noted two others — returning redshirt freshman LaTristan Thompson and incoming freshman Jason Stokes Jr. — when talking about the group who will be in contention to make contributions this year.

The 6-foot-3 Cotton, 6-foot-4 Saunders and 6-foot-3 Caldwell received valuable reps in the spring and made an impression. The height and length they bring to the position is invaluable as well.

As for the post-spring transfers, Shah said Moson is working out at nickel back and he “could be viable” if he gets up to speed.

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As for Hart, Shah noted his SEC experience — he played in 15 games over the past two years at Auburn, with five tackles — and his smarts.

“I think he was valedictorian of his high school in Alabama. Just a good kid, and he has some intention to him, very purposeful,” the Utah cornerbacks coach said.

Then, Shah delved more into the potential the 6-foot-2 Hart has.

“(He) can really run, has shown some physicality. When I watch the special teams film from Auburn and some of the limited amount of reps he received, I think he becomes just somebody else that maybe after three to four weeks, I’m like, ‘Wow, I uncovered another jewel.’”

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Why there’s optimism for the new crop of cornerbacks

Over the previous two recruiting classes, Utah brought in three transfer cornerbacks. That group included Miles Battle (from Ole Miss), Kenan Johnson (Georgia Tech) and Calhoun (Michigan).

All three ended up finding their way into the cornerback rotation in their lone seasons in Utah.

Battle, a four-star transfer, had 32 tackles for Utah in 2023 and started twice that season. He’s now in the NFL with the New England Patriots.

Johnson ended up coming in and being a Day 1 starter for Utah last year, though his season-ending injury limited him to just a few snaps in Salt Lake City. He transferred to Virginia this offseason.

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Calhoun was a key member of Utah’s cornerback rotation last year and showed promise to be a star, finishing with one start, 21 tackles, an interception and a team-high nine pass breakups a year ago. This offseason he transferred to Alabama.

The overall success of this year’s cornerbacks group could hinge on whether its added depth — and a new starter — can make the necessary plays when called upon, to help complement the play of Snowden and Davis.

Part of that is being ready, and being durable.

Case in point: when Johnson was lost for the year in Week 1 last season, Davis stepped up. It’s a reminder that those who find themselves outside the spotlight need to be ready when called upon.

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“I’d like us to be better and more durable. I just told all of the boys, your best ability is durability. Last. (If) you go, ‘Coach, I want to find my way on the field,’ be available, because invariably, someone goes down,” Shah said.

The University of Utah will discontinue 81 academic programs — from foreign languages to theater and dance — in response to the Legislature’s mandate to cut higher education budgets.

And the state’s flagship institution is expected to slash even more in the coming weeks.

The U. released its preliminary program cuts on Tuesday, as part of its monthly board of trustees agenda, delineating for the first time what is on the chopping block. It is the last school in the state to do, with the seven other public colleges and universities providing those details this spring.

University of Utah President Taylor Randall has previously said it’s been difficult for the large research institution to figure out what to cut, given the federal funding uncertainties under the Trump administration.

But all schools are required to meet an Aug. 18 deadline to tell the Legislature specifically what will be eliminated.

The process started earlier this year when state lawmakers voted to cut $60.5 million from the higher education budget, with the directive to schools to cut “inefficient” majors — or programs that have few graduates and lead to lower paying jobs.

Institutions can eventually get the money back under provisions in HB265, but only if they show the funds will be reinvested in high-wage degrees that lead to jobs the state needs.

The U. has the largest share of the cuts, at $19.6 million.

Its board of trustees approved the program cuts unanimously Tuesday without any discussion.

But in a memo attached to the list, the school’s academic leadership under Provost Mitzi Montoya said the decisions were based on “data-informed analysis.” The school targeted degrees and certificates “that have little to no recent enrollment or degree conferrals.”

That follows the direction of the Legislature, which pushed schools to use data to trim offerings with low student interest.

Richard Preiss, president of the U.’s Academic Senate — which represents faculty on campus — wrote in a letter to the trustees that each of the 81 programs to be slashed had either zero or one student graduate over the last eight years.

Many faculty had feared any metrics would disproportionately affect the liberal arts — and that has happened at every school, now including the U.

Most of the degree cuts there are in the College of Humanities, which lost 22 programs. Of those, 16 were specifically in the Middle East Studies Program. Most were around languages or language teaching, such as a German teaching bachelor’s degree. (Similarly, the chemistry and biology teaching degrees in the College of Science were cut.)

Another eight program cuts are in the College of Fine Arts, including a Ph.D. in theater and the master’s degrees in ballet and modern dance. Seven cuts affect the College of Social and Behavioral Science.

Overall, most of the affected degrees are master’s and doctorates. And many of the changes will mean consolidating programs and dropping some specialities, such as a Ph.D. in experimental pathology at the School of Medicine. A handful of certificates in mining engineering have also been terminated for being “outdated.”

Montoya said in recent blog posts that the plans align with her efforts she has called Mission-Aligned Planning, or MAP, to make the U. more efficient.

“Because of our persistent efforts, we have been able to consider and respond to the mandates and spirit of HB265 in a deliberate and planful way,” she wrote.

Before the list went to the trustees, the executive committee of the Academic Senate reviewed the program cuts.

Preiss said it was a collaborative process with faculty to get to the listed cuts. And he anticipates reviewing at least five more cut recommendations next week.

“We recognize that there will be further, more painful rounds of cuts and restructurings, but we hope this can serve as a precedent and a model,” he said.

At an earlier presentation to the Utah Board of Higher Education, the U. had said it was cutting 94 majors, minors or certificates.

The school has committed to teaching out any cut programs for students already enrolled, or providing clear transitions to similar degrees.

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics are trading recently acquired forward Georges Niang and two future second-round draft picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for rookie RJ Luis Jr., ESPN reported on Tuesday.

In a separate deal, power forward Chris Boucher has agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal with the Celtics, his agent Sam Permut confirmed to The Associated Press. Boucher has spent the past seven seasons with Toronto, where he was part of its 2019 championship team.

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Niang is headed to Utah just a month after being dealt to Boston as part of a three-team deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta. Niang previously spent four seasons with Utah. He appeared in 79 games split between Atlanta and Cleveland last season when he averaged a career-high 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Shedding the final year of Niang’s salary for next season will save Boston $8 million in luxury taxes, and allow it to stay under the second penalty apron following Boucher’s addition.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Celtics

The Celtics lessened their tax bill by tens of millions by moving Niang’s contract off their books.

By Conor Ryan

August 5, 2025 | 5:39 PM

1 minute to read

Georges Niang’s tenure with the Celtics appears to have been very short-lived. 

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Celtics traded the veteran big man and Massachusetts native and two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for rookie RJ Luis Jr. 

Moving on from Niang and his $8.2 expiring contract will help alleviate Boston’s still-hefty tax bill for next season, with ESPN’s Bobby Marks noting that Boston’s tax penalties dropped from $73.1 million to $30.4 million by moving Niang’s contract.

The Celtics subsequently signed veteran forward Chris Boucher to a one-year, $3.3 million, with Boston accounting for Niang’s spot in the frontcourt with a cheaper alternative in Boucher. 

Marks added that Boston’s projected salary and luxury tax bill on June 15 was projected to come in at a whopping $540 million. Since then, a flurry of moves by Brad Stevens now has that total bill down to $239 million.

Niang, 32, was originally acquired by Boston earlier this offseason as one of the returns for the Celtics’ trade that sent Kristaps Porzingins to Atlanta. 

Over 79 games (three starts) between the Cavaliers and Hawks last season, Niang averaged  9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

He had big shoes to fill following the departure of Porzingis, but Niang was seemingly a good fit for a Joe Mazzulla-coached roster, considering that he sank 40.6 percent of his shots from 3-point range in 2024-25.

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Niang will now return to the Utah Jazz, whom he played for from 2017-21. 

Lessening that luxury-tax bill and freeing up the capital to sign a cheaper alternative in Boucher was likely Stevens’ top focus with this deal. But, Boston also acquired an intriguing asset in Luis Jr. 

An undrafted guard who signed with the Jazz after the 2025 NBA Draft concluded, the 22-year-old Luis Jr. started his career with UMass before transferring to St. John’s from 2023-25.

During the 2024-25 season with the Red Storm, Luis Jr. averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists for the Red Storm, and won Big East Player of the Year honors.

Conor Ryan

Sports Writer

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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As 675,000 Utah students head back to school this month, the American Red Cross of Utah is reminding motorists to use extra caution, especially in and around school zones.

According to the Red Cross, more than 25,000 children were injured nationwide last year while commuting to or from school, “making it essential for everyone on the road to stay alert and drive carefully.”

The organization is encouraging parents to talk with their children about pedestrian and bicycle safety.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, child pedestrian fatalities increased by 11% since 2013, despite overall pedestrian deaths declining over the past 30 years. The sharpest rise is seen among 10- to 14-year-olds and 15- to 19-year-olds, many of whom walk or bike to school.

Red Cross officials say that as campuses reopen statewide, extra caution from motorists is critical.

“Students walking to school may be distracted by smartphones, social media or earbuds, which can prevent them from noticing nearby traffic,” said Heidi Ruster, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region. “In today’s fast-paced and tech-focused world, it’s vital that drivers stay alert and that families reinforce safety habits for students walking or biking to school.”

Driving through school zones

When driving through school zones, motorists should reduce their speed and stay alert. If a school bus has flashing yellow lights, it is preparing to stop — drivers should slow down and be ready to stop as well.

Flashing red lights and an extended stop arm indicate that children are boarding or exiting the bus. Vehicles must stop in both directions until the red lights stop flashing, the stop arm is retracted, and all children are safely out of the road.

Back-to-school safety tips from the Red Cross

For students:

• Arrive early and stand well back from the curb while waiting for the bus.

• Board the bus only after it has come to a complete stop and follow the driver’s instructions.

• Stay in view of the bus driver; never walk behind the bus.

• Cross streets only at intersections, obey signals and use crosswalks.

• Never run into the street or cross between parked cars.

• Wear a helmet when biking to school and ride on the right-hand side of the road, in the direction of traffic.

• Walk in groups when possible and use routes with crossing guards.

• Parents should walk with young children and those attending a new school or using a new route for at least the first week.

For student drivers and families:

• Always wear a seatbelt. Younger children should use appropriate car seats or booster seats.

• Teen drivers should buckle up, avoid using phones and not eat or drink while driving.

• Allow extra time for your commute, as traffic is often heavier during school hours.

• Be patient with other drivers and pedestrians who may also be in a hurry.

• Stay calm behind the wheel — stress can lead to poor decisions and increased risk.

A driver died Sunday after he crashed while he was trying to set a land speed record at an annual event on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, event organizers said.

Chris Raschke, 60, died after the crash at around 3:03 p.m. MT, officials with the Southern California Timing Association, which runs the event, said in a statement.

Organizers said the crash happened after Raschke “lost control of his land speed vehicle at approximately the 2 1/2 mile.” It occurred during the annual “Speed Week,” which opened Sunday.

The Bonneville Salt Flats are about 12 miles long and 5 miles wide and are made up of sodium chloride, or table salt, according to the federal Bureau of Land Management, which oversees it.

The area is used for land speed racing, among other purposes, it says. Drivers at the Bonneville event can reach speeds of more than 300 mph.

Raschke was a driver with the Speed Demon team in Ventura County, California, and piloted the Speed Demon streamliner, the team says on its website. He began working in motorsports in the 1980s, it said.

“We are deeply devastated,” the team said on social media Sunday.

The American Hot Rod Foundation was among those also mourning Raschke’s death. It said he was reportedly traveling in the neighborhood of 300 mph when the crash occurred.

“To those who knew him on the salt, he was someone who found the perfect balance of friendly and competitive. Never a usual combination and one that speaks to the quality of his character,” the association said in a statement. “We send our deepest sympathies to Chris’s family and friends.”

The flats are around 120 miles west of Salt Lake City, on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake Basin, the BLM says on its website. They’re remnants of Lake Bonneville.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, the Southern California Timing Association said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.

Dark Sky International is a U.S.-based nonprofit that advocates for preserving dark skies by limiting light pollution at night.

Research has shown that light pollution can harm wildlife, disrupt pollinators, and impact human health and safety.

“So the benefit of having a dark sky is not necessarily just for being able to see the stars,” said Michael Rymer, Dark Sky’s communities program manager. He said in the last 10 years, there has been an explosion of interest in Dark Sky certification around the globe. Achieving it is no easy feat, however.

“It’s not just, ‘Hey, you’re dark. Here’s your reward.’ They have to show that they are doing these things: making changes to lights, implementing, adopting a policy that dictates how future lights will behave, showing proof that they are communicating with the general public about what they’re doing,” Rymer said.

The western U.S. is heavily represented.

“Utah is very much a leader in the program, having the most Certified International Dark Sky places in any kind of province or state,” Rymer said.

Utah is home to over two dozen Dark Sky communities and places. The most recently certified was Bluff, in June.

The small town in San Juan County borders the Navajo Nation to the south and is surrounded by state parks and national recreation areas.

“We’re in the far southeast corner. If you’re coming from Moab and headed to Monument Valley, you go straight through us,” said Anne Leppanen, Bluff’s mayor.

“I think this Dark Sky designation for us is a big potential boost if we utilize it correctly,” Leppanen said.

Jennifer Davila, a town council member and business owner, is excited about the certification and its implications for astrotourism, or recreation focused around stargazing.

“We are very tourism-based. During our season, which typically runs from March until the end of October, we’ll see an influx of five to eight hundred people every day come through town,” Davila said.

As part of their certification agreement, Bluff is collaborating with the Bears Ears Partnership on dark sky outreach and events. The initiative’s education director Sarah Burak, said so far, these events have been successful.

“We’ve done a star party, which is constellation tours and telescope viewing, each month. In November, we’ll have a star festival. We’ll bring in astronomers and telescopes and basically open it to, hopefully, additional tourism,” Burak said.

The community is proud to recognize its dark skies as a natural asset.

“Even in the center of Bluff, where we are our brightest it is still very, very dark. You still see the Milky Way from the brightest spot in Bluff. … That’s not true of other places throughout the country or throughout the world,” Burak said.

If you’re someone who likes to arrange things in advance, the Utah Jazz’s preseason schedule might play into your early October plans.

The Utah Jazz announced their 2025-26 preseason schedule, and for the first time in a few years, there are no abnormalities. The Jazz aren’t headed to Hawaii or any other glamorous destination for training camp, they won’t be in Seattle during the preseason, and the New Zealand Breakers won’t be making a pit stop in Salt Lake City.

This time around, things are pretty straightforward, though there are some big names that could feature during the Jazz’s run of preseason games.

The Jazz will start the preseason on the road with a game in Houston on Oct. 8 and a game in San Antonio on Oct. 10. The Jazz then return home to host the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 13. The preseason slate wraps up at the Delta Center against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 16.

The Rockets were part of one of the summer’s blockbuster deals when they acquired Kevin Durant, and the preseason opener against the Jazz could be the first time we get a glimpse at what Durant looks like with the Rockets, though, there’s always a chance that Durant doesn’t play.

Victor Wembanyama and the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, Dylan Harper, will headline the Jazz’s final road game of the preseason.

The first home game of the preseason will obviously have some hype because the Dallas Mavericks’ roster features No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, the player the Jazz and every other team coveted before being thwarted by lottery luck.

Finally, the Jazz will face the Trail Blazers in the preseason finale, which has the potential to be an actual measuring stick for the Jazz against a young team with a couple of higher-profile veteran players. But, by the final game of the preseason, teams usually sit their best players and give more opportunity to the deep bench.

Ticketing and broadcast information for the preseason games have not been announced and are expected at a later date.

BYU’s questions at quarterback haven’t kept the Cougars from being ranked to start the 2025 season.

BYU is ranked No. 23 in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll released Monday morning, with 287 points.

That comes a year after the Cougars went 11-2 overall, finished in a four-way tie at 7-2 in the Big 12 and won the Alamo Bowl. BYU ended the 2024 season ranked No. 14 in the coaches poll.

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Utah, meanwhile, also finds itself in a favorable position, considering it’s coming off a 5-7 season.

The Utes received 86 points in the poll and are fifth among others receiving votes, which would be No. 30 nationally.

What other Big 12 teams are ranked in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll?

There are five Big 12 teams in the preseason coaches poll.

Defending league champion Arizona State is the highest-rated Big 12 program in the rankings at No. 11.

Three other teams joined BYU in the 20s — Kansas State is ranked No. 20, Iowa State is tied for No. 21 and Texas Tech is ranked No. 24.

In addition to Utah, four other Big 12 teams received votes in the poll but are outside the top 25. That includes Baylor (76 points), TCU (24), Colorado (12) and Kansas (6).

Who are the top teams in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll?

Texas edged out defending national champion Ohio State for No. 1 in the preseason coaches poll.

Behind the Longhorns and Buckeyes at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, are Penn State at No. 3, Georgia at No. 4 and Notre Dame at No. 5.

The rest of the top 10 includes Clemson at No. 6, Oregon at No. 7, Alabama at No. 8, LSU at No. 9 and Miami at No. 10.