One of the most reliable position groups of the Kyle Whittingham coaching era enters spring in search of the next great safety to team up with Cole Bishop.
Despite the recent departure of Clayton Isbell — who saw action in all 14 games with a start against Arizona — to the transfer portal, the Utah coaching staff feels confident in the group that is in the program. They may explore the transfer portal if needed after spring, but for now, there is plenty of trust in the safety room right now.
Nate Ritchie returns from his LDS mission and early enrollee freshman Johnathan Hall will be ones to watch this spring as Ritchie adjusts back to football life and Hall learns the speed of the college game.
This group also filled in heavily at the nickelback position the last half of 2022 between Bishop and Vaki. For now, that isn’t expected to change change this spring.
Defensive Coordinator Morgan Scalley has talented options, it’s just about who goes where.
The Starter
Cole Bishop
The true junior has been a dependable force for the Utah defense since stepping onto campus, starting in 19 of his 24 game appearances. The goal will be to keep Bishop healthy this spring, as he does not need to prove himself.
Bishop has earned Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention nods his first two seasons and should be a preseason All-Pac-12 nominee to start the 2023 season. He led the team in tackles with 83 last season and ranked second among active Pac-12 defensive backs with 5.7 tackles per game in his career.
Bishop should be a leading candidate for All-Pac-12 first or second team honors this season as he continues to etch his name among other great Utah safeties.
The Contenders
Sione Vaki
Vaki earned five starts and saw action in all 14 games last season. He flew all over the field in the Pac-12 Championship game and Rose Bowl, giving Utah fans a taste of what kind of player he could be this season.
The sophomore safety/nickelback had six tackles in the Pac-12 Championship game against USC and a team-high eight tackles in the Rose Bowl vs. Penn State. He developed into an excellent compliment to Bishop on the backend of the defense and will look to build from last season’s momentum.
With the abrupt departure of Isbell, the only question is, will most of his time come at safety or nickelback?
Nate Ritchie
Before he left for his LDS mission, Ritchie started all five games at strong safety in the COVID-restriced 2020 season. In his small sample size of games, Ritchie led the secondary with 28 total tackles, including a career-high of seven against Washington. This spring will be all about getting him to adjust back to playing college football and get back up to speed. Once he gets back into game shape, he should be a big factor in the rotation.
The staff is confident he can step into either safety position.
Bryson Reeves
The junior from Montrose, CA saw action in 10 games in 2022 on both defense and special teams, while also seeing action in six games in 2021. The former three-sport prep star has the athleticism to make an impact at safety. Depending on how he performs in spring, he could he a dark horse candidate for the free safety spot.
Jonathan Hall
When he initially signed with Utah, Hall was projected to play linebacker, but he has trimmed down a little bit since enrolling early. He is a hard hitter and shows flashes of former hard-hitting safety Marquise Blair. With some experienced players ahead of him, Hall should be able to learn from them, but his abilities will be tough to keep him off the field if the mental side of the position clicks early for him.
Jadon Pearson
Pearson saw action in 13 games last season, primarily on special teams. A former JuCo product by way of Reedley College in California, Pearson was a highly rated JuCo safety before transferring up to Utah where he earned All-Valley First-Team honors. Utah will hope he can take a big step forward in his development, with tthe competition at free safety suddenly wide open. With a strong spring, Pearson should battle for reps at the two-deep.
Darrien “Bleu” Stewart
Stewart saw action in seven games in 2022, primarily on special teams. Entering his third season in the program, he should have a good grasp of the defense. As injuries can happen at any point, Stewart’s development this spring will be a key piece for the position’s depth.
UteNation take
The likely combination of the three safeties to see the most time are Bishop, Vaki, and Ritchie. The only question is who goes where. Vaki seemed ticketed for a lot of reps at nickelback before Isbell’s recent departure, but now he could be needed at free safety to play alongside Bishop.
When the fall comes, the arrival of Smith Snowden will help the nickelback spot. If that’s the case, the free safety spot has a lot less questions. For spring, however, there will be plenty of mixing and matching to find the right combo.
