With four days left in the UteNation Countdown to Kickoff we discuss a key player for the defensive backfield in no. 4 JaTravis Broughton. The 5-foot-11 junior became a mainstay at the left cornerback spot opposite Clark Phillips III back in 2020 and was poised to anchor the spot again in 2021 before a season ending injury in the BYU game sidelined him last year. Broughton has seen action in 21 games, starting in his last seven games.

UteNation Take

Broughton's big year was supposed to be last year, but plans were delayed because of his injury. As tough as it was for 2020 All-Pac-12 selection to not to play, JaTravis stayed engaged as much as he could and was actively leading the corners in the film room. A fully healthy Broughton opposite Phillips III should be an imposing duo for every Utah opponent.

Until his injury, Broughton had the most game experience out of the cornerbacks. After nearly a full season without Broughton, there should be more depth in the cornerback's room, but Broughton is an unquestioned starter. Coach Shah is thrilled to have Broughton back this fall, whom Shah calls a "silent assassin."

Remembering Broughton's Recruitment

Broughton was a 5.6 Rivals rated 3-star cornerback out of Tulsa, OK, a rare recruiting ground for the University of Utah. He held eight offers, most notably from Army, Oregon, and Texas Tech. With the lack of a lot of big offers, Broughton chose to wait until the February signing date to make his decision. After committing to Utah Broughton, who went by McCloud at the time, skyrocketed up the Oklahoma state player rankings, from unranked to no. 10.