Utah Football Finding Answers At Cornerback

SALT LAKE CITY – Head coach Kyle Whittingham and Utah Football are in the process of prepping for the Baylor Bears. A significant factor in this week’s preparation is sorting out the cornerback room after the unfortunate loss of Kenan Johnson last week.

Utah has a collection of athletes in the room that are capable of stepping up. Whittingham made it clear they would find the best configuration in the secondary to move forward with.

We’re on a bear hunt this 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞

🏟️: Rice-Eccles Stadium
⏰: 1:30PM MT
📺: FOX
📻: ESPN 700 AM / 92.1 FM#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/J8pjcqncIv

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) September 2, 2024

How is Utah moving forward at cornerback?

Kenan Johnson’s injury left a void in the defensive secondary. Utah was able to simply plug in sophomore Elijah “Scooby” Davis, who actually had a solid performance highlighted by an interception.

However, coach Whittingham noted after the game that they would take a closer look at the room. Specifically, that they would take the first couple of days of practice to find the best configuration. So, after two days of practice, what did they find out?

“Smith Snowden is a top two corner for us, so he’ll be on the field pretty much every snap,” Whittingham said after practice on Tuesday. “Scooby Davis has done a nice job and will figure into the mix. John Randle has made a lot of progress in the last three weeks since we made that switch, so he’ll be in the mix as well. And Cam Calhoun, that’s the guy we missed for about a month- now he’s back full speed, he’s in the mix as well.”

Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley offered his confidence in the room, as well as a similar assessment of the cornerback situation.

“In terms of who we have, Cam Calhoun is back and he’s healthy, Scooby Davis did a great job in Kenan’s absence. Smith Snowden has played outside and Tao Johnson has played at the nickel. We’re fine, we’re alright.”

It seems we should see a rotation that primarily includes Scooby Davis & Cam Calhoun, as well Smith Snowden. The versatility Utah has in the secondary will benefit them in this situation as well.

Got to hear from the defensive side at @Utah_Football media availability today. Good updates from Whitt, Scalley, @Camcalhoun01, @_sionefotu, and @alakaigilman #GoUtes #UtahFootball pic.twitter.com/x1GXLRLVm9

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 4, 2024

Kenan Johnson’s current mindset on his future

With Johnson’s injury, he will be eligible for a medical redshirt. It’s the sort of case that Whittingham dubbed as a “slam dunk” if he elects to pursue it. A return in 2025 would be a pretty strong silver lining for him in this situation.

“First of all, I love that kid, you know,” Scalley offered first when addressing Johnson’s situation. “He’s done nothing but put everything into this program, the culture, and the way we do things. He’s going to come back stronger.”

Scalley provided clarity on Johnson’s thought process at the moment. It does indeed sound like he’s leaning towards a return next season.

“You bet, you know, that’s his mindset,” Scalley said. “Right now, it’s focus on the surgery, focus on the rehab. Who knows where a kid’s mind is at this point but for right now, that’s the hope that he has.”

RELATED: Utah Football Turning Focus To Improvement Ahead Of Matchup With Baylor Bears

Assuming Johnson sticks with that as his plan, that’s a significant boost to the outlook of next year’s defensive secondary.

Utah Football Schedule

Utah will be back in action against the Baylor Bears for week two on Saturday.  You can find Utah football’s conference schedule here.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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