There are 23 days left in the UteNation Countdown to Kickoff, and today we discuss no. 23, cornerback Faybian Marks. Marks played in 10 games in 2021, starting in seven of them before a season ending injury. The sophomore from Richmond, TX was an established piece of the defensive backfield and his injury late in the season was a big blow to Utah’s depth during the tailend of their season

UteNation Take

Going into last season, it was known that Marks was a very talented corner, and he eventually proved it by earning his starting spot by the third game. Getting back to full strength for fall camp is the main goal now, as he and fellow cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn both missed spring ball.

Faybian played in a Cover 2 defense in high school, but he has really excelled in Utah’s man-to-man style defense. However, because of that zone defense experience, Marks has very disciplined eyes and reads the offense well. Marks also is not afraid to be physical in the run game. His physicality is a great representation of Utah’s style of defense, especially at a position not normally known for its physicality.

A healthy Marks would start at several P5 schools, but with JaTravis Broughton back in the lineup, Marks is battling with Vaughn for the third cornerback spot in the rotation. Regardless of his role, he should see plenty of important reps in 2022.

Remembering Marks’ Recruitment

Despite having two brothers play at Alabama, Marks was lightly recruited and had five P5 offers including Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Washington State and Utah. The three-star cornerback committed to Utah just before signing day 2020. Marks is yet another example of the Utes finding an underrecruited gem late in the recruiting process.