Defensive Report: 7/31
Over the weekend, whispers began about an injury to Utes' All-American candidate Chase Hansen. Early Monday, those fears were realized, although the hope is he won't be sidelined for long. Despite this early blow, it was business as usual at practice for the University of Utah.
Theme of the day: Next Man Up
It’s something that the Utes have lived by for what seems like forever. When someone goes down, the next man steps up. It could be graduation, injury, or leaving for the NFL—someone is always stepping up. That was the case for today as well. With Chase not available at the moment, guys have an opportunity to capitalize on. Marquise Blair is getting comfortable in the system, Philip Afia is maturing into a solid player at free safety and Corrion Ballard is shifting over to Hansen’s spot, for now.
Key Moment:
Senior nickelback, Boobie Hobbs had a few key plays at today's practice. He came away with an interception and a pass breakup. After a rocky offseason for the Louisiana native, a strong early showing will be crucial with him being the elder statesman of the secondary. Even though the defense is something that the Utes are known for Hobbs said that they pride themselves on being underrated and that mentality carries over into practice.
Standout Performers:
Corrion Ballard and Philip Afia both had solid practices, and while the Utes would prefer to line Ballard up at free safety, he’s proving that he’s more than capable at strong safety. Afia—who the coaches feel has grown by leaps and bounds this offseason—had yet another strong practice, showing that he’ll be more than ready when his number is called.
Leki Fotu is strong, calm, and collected. For most P-5 schools, he’s showing he'd be tough to keep out of the starting lineup. With his technique improving, it’s going to be a treat to see his development when camp hits full-speed.
Quote of the day:
Boobie Hobbs had himself a day and he also had the quote of the day:
“We pride ourselves on being very underrated in these Power-5 schools. That gives us some energy to be the best that we can be. It doesn’t matter about one side of the ball, we’re a team. At the end of the day we still have a lot to improve on. We pride ourselves on being dominate on defense but there is always room for work.”
The work that the Utes put in on defense is what has gotten them to the ranks as one of the best secondary units in the country. They continue to play with a chip on their shoulders and are always looking for improvement.
One thing that has really stuck out to me is how much of a team unit these guys are. The defense is good – but they are always looking for ways to improve.