There are 11 days left in the UteNation Countdown to Kickoff and that means we discuss no. 11 RJ Hubert today. After an injury in the 2021 spring game, Hubert sat out of the 2021 regular season, but he was able to see some action in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State.

Hubert played in 20 games in his first two seasons, mostly on special teams. Just when it seemed he was about to be a key part of the rotation, his time at Utah has been derailed by injuries. Because of this, Utah focused this offseason on being in two-time FCS All-American, Clayton Isbell and JuCo standout, JP Pearson.

The entire program is still hopeful that 2022 will be Hubert’s coming out party.

UteNation Take

The 6-foot senior out of Nevada has long been expected to be the starting free safety opposite Cole Bishop, and the key will be his health. Hubert was an athletic phenom in high school at wide receiver, recording 2,364 all-purpose yards and 31 touchdowns. Those ball skills and a 4.55 second 40-yard dash make him a ballhawk of a safety. As one of the veterans of the team, Hubert's knowledge of the playbook should make him a great centerfielder.

Questions linger, however. Will his health hold up? Can he still be the athletic freak the program was excited about? Can he hold off two hungry and talented teammates? Hubert’s been receiving a lot of reps with the 1s, as Isbell and Pearson get up to speed, but his health track record makes him a continuous mystery.

Remembering Hubert's Recruitment

Hubert was an all-everything athlete 3-star recruit out of Moala Valley HS. A talented but underrated football player, he also excelled on the track. As a high school senior, former Utah receivers coach, Taylor Stubblefield, made a surprise visit to his school that also came with an offer. With Utah being RJ’s dream school, he committed on the spot.