It's another double feature today as we draw closer and closer to the return of Utah football. On defense, the guy wearing number eight for the Utes is someone who entered the program with quite a bit of buzz about him, not at the position he's currently playing, but as a wide receiver.

Bronson Boyd, who originally committed to Texas Tech, ended up transferring to Utah shortly after enrolling as a Red Raider. Even as a true freshman, a year which he ended up having to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules, he turned heads on the scout team and whispers started to emerge that he was going to be a problem for opposing teams at wide receiver. The following year, Boyd again began to generate excitement during practices, with his jaw-dropping agility and a some spectacular catches. However, for one reason or another, he struggled to make it all click on the playing field, and ended up only making two catches for a total of 40 yards as a redshirt freshman.

Another off-season came and went, and though he started spring camp of his sophomore season at receiver, it wasn't long before Coach Sharrieff Shah approached him about playing cornerback. Due in part to the depth at receiver and in part to a need for depth at cornerback, Boyd made the switch, and has been working at defensive back ever since. Making that kind of transition isn't easy, but word out of camp is that Boyd has made large strides at the position and has the mentality needed to excel.

Andrew Fronce's take

I was really excited about Boyd's potential as a receiver, and loved what I saw from him in terms of agility, big play ability, and physicality. He isn't the biggest guy on the field, but at 6-foot, 192 pounds, he's still got plenty of size to play either receiver or corner. Ultimately, Boyd struggled with consistency on the offensive side of the ball, which allowed some other receivers to pass him up on the depth chart. I think this switch will end up being a good thing both for Boyd and the Utes, especially since Utah could end up losing a total of four cornerbacks after this season, depending on what Jaylon Johnson and Javelin Guidry decide to do.

What I hope to see from Boyd this year is that he gets some reps later in the game against opponents like NIU and Idaho State, so he can get his feet wet playing defensive back in a game. If he can do that, hopefully he'll be able to continue improving throughout the season and be a bigger part of the rotation at the end of the year, setting him up to compete for a starting job next year.

Alex remembers Boyd's recruitment

After committing and enrolling at Texas Tech, Boyd found himself in some drama that has already been discussed enough, which ultimately led to him transferring from the Red Raiders. From there, he was trained by former BYU Cougar Margin Hooks, so it only made sense for Hooks and receivers coach Guy Holliday to link up, giving Boyd a shot at redemption. The three-star receiver jumped at the chance and has been a stand-up teammate, his entire time with the Utes.

He was a welcome late addition, to the 2017 class.