Utah News

There was a time when Ike Larsen was viewed as a near surefire NFL draft prospect.

Maybe not an early-round pick, but a mid-to-late selection.

When people talked about Utah State and the future NFL players that were on the team, it was Larsen whose name was frequently dropped first, followed by wide receiver Jalen Royals, a fourth-round selection this year by the Kansas City Chiefs.

“When the moment gets bigger (Ike) tends to get better. And that’s a great trait.”

former USU coach Blake Anderson on Ike Larsen

There was genuine thought that Larsen might leave school early to go pro and it made sense to believe that.

Advertisement

In 2022 and again in 2023, Larsen was a difference-maker for Utah State. A playmaker extraordinaire, if you will.

“The guy just has a knack for finding the ball,” former Utah State coach Blake Anderson said back in 2023, following a convincing USU win over Colorado State.

“People like him and (Anthony Switzer) and MJ (Tafisi), they’re just calm in the moment. Their body control at the point of attack is really really good. He (Larsen) is not afraid of the moment.

“Most people get there and honestly can’t make the play. They miss it. They close their eyes and their technique is bad,” he continued. “When the moment gets bigger (Ike) tends to get better. And that’s a great trait.”

Advertisement

To Anderson’s point, as a redshirt freshman in 2022 — a year in which he only started four games — Larsen led the Aggies with four interceptions and three blocked kicks. No player in program history had ever blocked that many kicks in a single season, and Larsen did it as a redshirt freshman seeing his first major playing time at the collegiate level.

The next season, Larsen may have been better. At the very least, given a larger role (he started all 13 games) his overall production ramped up. Larsen finished the 2023 season with 103 tackles (58 of which were solo) — the second-most on the team. He also recorded a team-high four interceptions and a team-high two blocked kicks. Oh and he had six pass breakups as well, second-most on the team.

Something happened last year, though. Larsen, while still productive statistically — he finished the year second on the team with 80 tackles (55 of which were solo), had a team-best nine pass breakups and one interception — was far from his usual self.

He was more undisciplined, particularly in coverage, and didn’t wrap up his tackles nearly as well as he had proven capable. Somehow Larsen largely went unnoticed in many games, his game-breaking playmaking ability absent more often than not.

Advertisement

The 2024 season was a disastrous one for USU, starting with the unexpected firing of Anderson, the promotion of new defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling to interim head coach, quickly followed by the tragic death of transfer defensive back Andre Seldon Jr. And when Utah State could have used Larsen at his best, well, he was far from it.

Per Pro Football Focus, Larsen was demonstrably worse last season than he had been previously in his career, his overall grade dropping to a 58.7 in 2024, well below the 74.8 he earned in 2023 and the 89.6 he received in 2022.

His coverage grade was 55.2, which put him as the 739th best safety in coverage out of 858 players graded. Meaning, 86% of safeties who played college football last year were better than Larsen in coverage.

It wasn’t just coverage either. His pass rush grade was 59, which was mediocre at best for his position. He was slightly better in run defense — he graded out at 65.9 — but that still put him in the bottom 41% of safeties.

It isn’t just PFF that noticed the precipitous drop in Larsen’s play. New head coach Bronco Mendenhall was unfamiliar with Larsen before taking over the USU job — despite Utah State and New Mexico playing last season. Mendenhall wasn’t shy at Mountain West media days, noting that Larsen had been better earlier in his career than he was in 2024.

Advertisement

“Ike has had a strong career,” Mendenhall said. “I didn’t know much about Ike prior to coming to Utah State, as I’ve been out of the state for a while. Earlier in his career, stronger performances. Last year, not as strong.”

There is reason to believe that Larsen will return to form this season, though.

The senior has been noticeable on social media, not as much his own accounts like in the past but on Utah State football’s official accounts. The reason? He’s clearly tried to take on a leadership role, something he appeared to shy away from last season.

“You got a really instinctual player. Got a lot of God-given talent.”

USU QB Bryson Barnes on Ike Larsen

Mendenhall noted that Larsen is eager to get back to playing like he used to.

Advertisement

“He’s anxious to relink the upcoming year to what he’s truly capable of,” Mendenhall said. “To what will be needed from him and the secondary in general.”

Larsen is still Larsen. He’s unique in a lot of ways. It can be difficult to pin down who he is in just a few words.

“Ike is always going to be Ike,” senior defensive tackle Gabriel Iniguez Jr., said at MW media days. “He just does his own thing.”

The talent remains, though. Game-breaking talent. It never left.

“You got a really instinctual player,” senior quarterback Bryson Barnes said. “Got a lot of God-given talent given to him.”

The hope is that Larsen makes good use of it in 2025 and ends his Utah State playing career on a high note.

Advertisement

To his benefit and the Aggies.

Utah has long been underestimated. When people imagine our state, they often think of mountains, families and faith — but not major league sports. That needs to change. Because Utah isn’t just ready for Major League Baseball. We’re ideal.

The Salt Lake–Provo–Orem corridor is home to nearly 3 million people, and it’s growing fast. Our economy is healthy, our tech sector is booming and our communities are deeply connected. That’s a rare combination — and Major League Baseball should take note.

A recent poll found that over 80% of Utahns support bringing an MLB team to the state. That’s not a casual “sure, why not?”—that’s the kind of overwhelming enthusiasm every league dreams of. And it’s not just theoretical. The Salt Lake Bees have drawn millions of fans over the years, even without the glamour or payroll of an MLB franchise. We show up. We care.

So why now?

Because we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do this right. To create a franchise that reflects who we are and how we live. A team that’s built not just for profit, but for purpose.

Utah has already shown that professional sports can thrive here. The Jazz are beloved statewide. Real Salt Lake continue to punch above their weight in the MLS. The Mammoth have sprung out of the gate. And college sports dominate headlines and Saturdays. But baseball is different. It’s slower, deeper, more intergenerational. It’s about ritual and memory — things Utahns understand better than most.

A new team wouldn’t just bring games. It would bring jobs, civic pride and the kind of shared tradition that binds generations. Picture summer nights downtown. Picture family outings that don’t require a second mortgage. Picture a stadium designed for families, neighbors and newcomers alike — clean, safe, affordable and local.

We could even do something bolder: reimagine the idea of ownership. While MLB has traditionally resisted public or civic models, Utah is known for innovation. Why not explore a hybrid approach — anchored by private investment but open to community participation? A team that belongs to all of us, not just a boardroom.

We don’t need gimmicks. We need authenticity. Utah has it in abundance.

There will be doubters. Some will say we’re too small, or too conservative, or too far from baseball’s traditional strongholds. But so was Green Bay — and their publicly owned Packers are now one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports.

Others will raise concerns about altitude or April weather. Fair points — but solvable ones. Denver did it. So can we. Build a modern ballpark with shade and heating options. Embrace the Wasatch backdrop. Make it uniquely ours.

If MLB wants a franchise that isn’t just another big-city bet but a real partnership with a real place, Utah is the answer.

We’re not trying to copy anyone. We’re offering something new: a team rooted in community, backed by faith in one another and built for the long haul.

We believe in loyalty. We believe in family. We believe in shared effort and earned success. That’s what baseball is about. That’s what Utah is about.

We’re not just ready. We’re the right choice.

It’s time to bring it home.

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics traded recently acquired forward Georges Niang and two future second-round draft picks to the Utah Jazz in exchange for rookie RJ Luis Jr., both teams announced Wednesday.

The deal is contingent on the players passing their physicals.

Advertisement

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 the addition of Chris Boucher, who agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal.

Boucher has spent the past seven seasons with Toronto, where he was part of its 2019 championship team.

___

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

The post 1 move Utah Jazz should’ve made in 2025 NBA offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Utah Jazz are unlikely to make the leap to playoff contention next season, and their offseason moves suggest that the front office knows they’re in it for the long game. With the Jazz residing in the tougher Western Conference, it would take a miracle for them to be even in the play-in tournament picture. In fact, it’s not quite clear yet if they have the blue-chip prospect they need to take their rebuild to the next level.

Advertisement

Ace Bailey could be that guy, although his Summer League performance left a lot to be desired. Bailey also comes with his fair share of off-court baggage; can he overcome that en route to being the franchise cornerstone the Jazz need him to be?

But beyond that, it’s clear that the Jazz are still in talent accumulation mode, hoping that one of those players turns into the star they badly need to get back to their competitive ways.

With that in mind, this move was something they should have done to at least give them another lottery ticket.

The Jazz should have maintained cap space for a restricted free agent

At present, only two teams in the NBA have cap space remaining — the Jazz and the Brooklyn Nets. Cap space has dried up all around the association, leading to a huge pause in free-agent signings. There has been no significant motion in free agency for weeks now, even with talented players such as Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes, and Cam Thomas still unsigned heading into the middle of August.

Advertisement

Considering how badly the Jazz need to infuse their roster with talent, they should have prioritized being able to create the space they needed to be able to tender an acceptable offer sheet to one of those aforementioned restricted free agents.

Of course, it’s not like all four of them would be seamless fits on the roster. Kuminga, for instance, would be battling for frontcourt minutes with the likes of Lauri Markkanen, Bailey, Kyle Filipowski, and Taylor Hendricks (once he returns). But considering that he’s only 22 years of age, bringing him in would represent a major upside play for Utah.

Kuminga’s desire for a bigger role has been well-documented, and he simply won’t be getting that on the Warriors. If the Jazz carved up around $25-$30 million in cap space, they could have given Kuminga an offer sheet he couldn’t refuse and putting pressure on the Warriors to make a snap decision with one fell swoop.

The other three remaining noteworthy restricted free agents are guards, but the Jazz, looking at their roster at present, appear to be in dire need of a quality shooting guard. It’s not quite clear who the Jazz will be starting at the two — they can roll with a backcourt of Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George, but that is deathly undersized.

Advertisement

They could also lean more towards supersized basketball, deploying Bailey at the two, while trotting out Markkanen at the three and perhaps Filipowski at the four with the departure of John Collins via trade.

Even then, the Jazz badly need more offense (among the many things they need to become a winning team). Adding someone like Grimes would have been incredible. Grimes and the Philadelphia 76ers are currently at an impasse as well; after his scorching hot end to last season, Grimes is asking for a lot of money befitting of someone who was dropping 30 and 40 point-games like it was nobody else’s business.

Grimes, since arriving with the 76ers, put up 21.9 points per game on 47/37/75 shooting splits, averaging 2.9 made triples per contest. He can thrive both on and off the ball, and he would have given Utah a go-to scorer on the perimeter who’s efficient — someone Utah needs to lessen the scoring burden on Markkanen’s shoulders.

Even Giddey would be a fine addition for the Jazz. While he’s not a marksman from beyond the arc, he flexed his well-rounded game towards the end of the year — putting up 16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game on 48/43/81 splits. Utah has leaned on a supersized identity on the past, and Giddey would fit like hand and glove since he stands at 6’8″ at the point guard position.

Advertisement

Simply put, the Jazz could have opened up the space to at least make the teams of the restricted free agents sweat more than they have thus far this offseason. They could have waived Kenyon Martin Jr.’s non-guaranteed contract or found a taker for Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love’s contracts.

Things can still change for the Jazz, but that is unlikely since there are no concrete indications suggesting that they plan to move in restricted free agency.

Related: Celtics grades for Georges Niang trade, Chris Boucher signing

Related: Celtics salary dump Kristaps Porzingis trade piece to Jazz

The Utah Mammoth’s biggest trade chips series continues with another player who could have a new home by the end of the 2025-26 NHL season: Nick Schmaltz.

As mentioned in yesterday’s piece about Lawson Crouse, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman discussed on 32 Thoughts the Podcast that the trade market could start to heat up as the season gets closer.

Advertisement

“It’s summer. Like, you know, people are trying to relax a little bit. And I’m assuming that things are going to heat up later in the summer at some point in all these particular situations.”

The Mammoth have a strong trade option in Schmaltz. He still has a few years left in his prime, and while Utah might not want to part with that, if it helps them land a star, then general manager Bill Armstrong will be ready to pull the trigger.

Schmaltz, 29, is coming off a solid year. In 82 games, he put up 20 goals and 43 assists for 63 points, setting new career highs in both assists and overall points. He’d be a valuable trade chip if the return is high-end talent. That said, if Schmaltz starts the year as strong as he finished the last one, he could make the front office hesitate. It might even shift their thinking toward re-signing him instead.

That’s not to say Schmaltz is officially on the trade block. There hasn’t been any confirmed word on that front. What we do know is Armstrong is all-in on doing what’s best for the team. If the right deal comes up, and Schmaltz is the piece that makes it happen, the Mammoth won’t be afraid to make that call.

Utah Mammoth’s Biggest Trade Chips: Lawson Crouse With the dog days of summer slowly trickling to a close, there’s a sense that the trade market will heat up as we get closer to the start of the 2025-26 NHL season.

From The Archive: Mission Possible The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.

67 Days Until Opening Day: The Mammoth’s History of Number 67 We’re just 67 days away from the start of the Utah Mammoth’s season against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Oct. 9th.

Personal Goals Utah Mammoth’s Top-Six Should Achieve This Season Utah Mammoth’s ultimate goal this season is to make the playoffs and have a chance at competing for the Stanley Cup.

A new report by the Utah Geological Survey details the value and the diversity of the state’s mining industry — which was responsible for close to $10 billion last year.

The industry is broader than one might think. Metals, industrial minerals, uranium and coal contributed an estimated $4.5 billion. Oil and gas production contributed another estimated $5 billion.

Additionally, it generated $75 million in property taxes in 2023, up 12% from 2022, and $12 million in mining-related state taxes in 2024.

The extractive industries in Utah also contributed more than $83 million to Utah in 2024 in federal mineral lease payments, which is revenue generated by mineral leases on federal lands within the state.

Brian Somers, president of the Utah Mining Association, is not surprised at what the document details.

“Utah’s mining industry is robust and growing,” Somers said. “(The year) 2024 saw steady growth in overall mineral and fuels production, wages, employment and tax revenues. With our world-class mining industry, proactive state officials, an unrivaled mineral endowment and a welcoming environment for investment, Utah is poised to lead the nation in realizing the Trump administration’s vision for national energy and critical minerals dominance.”

The report highlights the diverse and curious role Utah plays when it comes to mineral resources.

As an example, the state is the sole domestic producer of beryllium concentrate, which is critical for the aerospace industry and national defense; potassium sulfate, an important agricultural fertilizer, and uintaite, which is a rare, naturally occurring hydrocarbon that is used in asphalt, paints and inks.

What is up with beryllium?

According to Livescience, beryllium is uniquely strong and light and used to make cellphones, missiles and aircraft. However, it is also highly carcinogenic if it is alloyed with salts and must be carefully handled.

There is a strong appeal to its properties, however.

Livescience says despite its toxicity, the element is highly useful because of its unique qualities. For instance, it is one of the lightest metals and has one of the highest melting points among the light metals, according to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Steel gray in color, beryllium’s factor of elasticity is about one-third greater than steel. Beryllium is nonmagnetic and resistant to concentrated nitric acid. It also has superior thermal conductivity and resists oxidation in air in normal temperatures.

Utah’s beryllium is from the Spor Mountain mining district in Juab County. Based on estimated global production, Spor Mountain alone accounted for over 55% of global beryllium production.

The amount of ore remaining at Spor Mountain can support mining for at least 75 years, and currently, more ore is produced annually than is used in the domestic market.

The diversity of Utah’s market is cemented

In 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey ranked Utah 11th nationally for production of non-fuel minerals, which include metals and industrial minerals.

The agency estimate for non-fuel mineral production was put at $3.1 billion. That includes cement, copper, gold, potash and salt that are listed as principal commodities.

The copper king

In 2023, Rio Tinto’s Bingham Canyon accounted for approximately 75% of Utah’s total metal mining.

The world’s deepest open mine that flanks the western side of Salt Lake County is a workhorse for Utah.

Metallic minerals accounted for $2.1 billion in production value and copper alone accounted for nearly 60% of Utah’s metal production value.

Base metal production contributed $1.9 billion and included copper, beryllium, molybdenum and iron. Precious metals produced in Utah include gold and silver, and 2024 production was valued at nearly $270 million.

An earlier report this year also indicated that Utah is golden in that arena of production.

The analysis puts Utah 10th place in the nation for its number of gold locations. Utah can boast of 7.46 sites per 1,000 square miles and a total of 613 gold locations.

SD Bullion used data from the U.S. Geological Survey to come up with its list of the top 10 states for gold.

Just west of Rio Tinto, the Mercur district ultimately produced about 2.5 million ounces of gold, making it Utah’s largest primary gold mining district, despite the fact that no gold was ever recognized as an in-hand specimen.

The price of gold during the years Mercur was recently in production ranged from under $300 to about $450 per ounce.

As I read America’s AI Action Plan, the much-awaited AI roadmap for the nation, I am delighted to see reflections of Utah’s AI innovation ecosystem. The plan outlines three pillars aimed at securing U.S. leadership in the age of AI:

• Innovations in AI, AI-enabled applications and AI-enabled science

• Infrastructure, including both physical and energy infrastructure, to power AI development and deployment

• A policy framework to ensure the secure and widespread adoption and deployment of U.S. AI innovations

Creating opportunities for the U.S. workforce and providing benefits to U.S. citizens is an overarching goal, and public-private partnerships serve as a fundamental mechanism in achieving it.

As outlined in our response to the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s request for information, the State of Utah is catalyzing an AI-driven innovation ecosystem that brings together partners from government, academia and industry to drive research and development, foster innovation and entrepreneurship, and create an AI-savvy workforce. This innovation ecosystem builds on three foundational principles: responsible innovation, public-private partnerships and accessible innovation infrastructure.

Central to the implementation of Utah’s ecosystem is the University of Utah’s One-U Responsible Artificial Intelligence Initiative. It brings together transdisciplinary research expertise, statewide advanced cyberinfrastructure, education and workforce development, partnerships, and community engagement to catalyze responsible AI innovation and application. Through this effort, the initiative addresses scientific and societal grand challenges while promoting fairness, accountability and transparency.

The initiative has also catalyzed (and continues to nurture) the Utah Responsible AI Community Consortium to create a framework that enables academia, government, industry and the community to collectively and symbiotically engage in the responsible development and use of AI, benefiting Utahns and the nation. Partnering with the first-in-the-nation Utah Office of AI Policy, which has the authority to grant innovation-enabling regulatory relief within regulatory sandboxes, we are exploring novel models for public-private partnerships, along with metrics and testbeds, to foster safe and responsible innovation and entrepreneurship.

Through these and other related initiatives across the state (e.g., Operation Gigawatt, aiming to double Utah’s power production), Utah is setting a new standard for AI innovation based on public-private partnerships, and is leading the nation in AI innovation and regulation. I believe that Utah’s AI innovation ecosystem can serve as a model for implementing America’s AI Action Plan, promoting innovation, economic leadership, and societal wellness and prosperity, and ensuring America’s AI dominance.

Remains of a human foot found inside a hiking shoe on the shores of a lake in Utah belong to a man who went missing in 1997, according to officials.

The remains were found on the shores of Fishlake Utah in May, according to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators determined the hiking boot was made in 1996 for only one year. Investigators were able to tie the boot to a cold case disappearance from September 1997.

David White intended to go fishing with some friends and had rented a hotel room nearby. When the plans with friends fell through, White went fishing anyway, according to the sheriff’s office.

His boat was later found trolling across Fishlake with no one onboard, according to officials.

“A shoe and hat were found floating in the water giving a possible indication where White was believed to have fallen in. There were no witnesses at the time. All of this was a mystery until now,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.

The original search for White lasted five days and no further evidence was found at the time.

“This case has been on the mind of every one of the SAR members who were involved in the search 28 years ago. It is good to finally have some closure for the family and the searchers,” Sheriff Nathan Curtis said in a statement.

The medical examiner’s office directed investigators to collect DNA from the foot and DNA from a daughter and sent to Bode Cellmark Forensics.

Testing revealed a parental match with 99.9994% certainty.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, SAR’s, Detective Sgt Pearson, Detective Sgt Larsen, Sheriff Curtis, and Gary (Moulton) from Fishlake Lodge for their incredible support and tireless efforts. We are also deeply grateful to the individual and his dog who found the shoe – without them, we would not be where we are today,” Stefanie Bennett, the daughter of White, said in a statement released by officials.

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:

Advertisement

• 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.

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.’”

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

“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.