The University of Utah lost Clark Phillips III a year early to the NFL Draft this past offseason, but as fall camp starts, the cornerback group remains a strength of the Utes’ vaunted defense.
Zemaiah Vaughn headlines a group that also features mainstay JaTravis Broughton, and Ole Miss transfer Miles Battle. The group also added four-star freshmen Smith Snowden and CJ Blocker in the most recent signing class.
Between the veterans, talented newcomers, and a handful of others in the mix, fall camp will be an intense battle that determines how the depth chart shakes out against Florida on August 31.
Let’s take a look and Utah cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah’s group:
The Starter
Zemaiah Vaughn
Junior
6-foot-2, 185 pounds
Perhaps the most underrated corner from last year's squad, Zemaiah Vaughn really came into his own down that stretch as he started in the final six contests and made his presence known. For the year, Vaughn finished with 25 tackles and a team-high nine pass break-ups. Stepping into his junior year, Vaughn is a sneaky good corner with incredible length and speed which makes it incredibly difficult for teams to thread any needle. 2023 will be a big year for Vaughn as he steps into a starting role for the entire campaign. At 6-foot-2, he runs a 4.3 40. This should be his breakout year.
The Contenders
JaTravis Broughton
Senior
5-foot-11, 190 pounds
Now in his final year at Utah, JaTravis Broughton is the veteran of the group having played in 35 career games with 18 starts. Last season, Broughton tallied 46 total tackles which ranked third amongst the secondary. When dissecting his game you know exactly what you are going to get. Valuable experience, solid coverage, and limited mistakes.
Miles Battle
Senior
6-foot-4, 205 pounds
Miles Battle was another solid addition from the transfer portal this past offseason as he brings valuable experience with more than 40 appearances in the SEC. Upon joining the program, Battle had a good spring ball performance and appears to compliment the rest of the room with his athleticism and agility. Utah knew they were getting a talented cornerback, but so far he’s exceeded expectations.
Tao Johnson
Redshirt Freshman
6-foot-1, 192 pounds
At the tail end of last season freshman Tao Johnson was moved from wide receiver to corner and proceeded to demonstrate a lot of potential in spring ball. With elite athleticism in addition to a high football IQ given his quarterback background in high school, Johnson is acclimating to the position quickly and is the favorite to be the starter at nickel.
The Backups
Faybian Marks
Junior
5-foot-10, 191 pounds
Over the last four seasons, Faybian Marks has had a lot of valuable experience but hasn’t quite cemented himself as a consistent and solidified contributor. Unfortunately, an injury set Marks back quite a bit as he only played in six games last season after starting in seven with 10 appearances the year before. Still, Marks provides some solid and experienced depth. He’s not some for opponents to sleep on.
Elijah Davis
Redshirt Freshman
6-foot-1, 175 pounds
Another young prospect who made a lot of noise in spring ball was freshman Elijah Davis. He simply made the wide receivers jobs a lot more difficult and his efforts have him competing for reps at the nickel alongside Johnson.
Smith Snowden
Freshman
5-foot-10, 180 pounds
Local commit Smith Snowden is incredibly athletic with great speed, excellent body control and an elite nose for the football. In addition to an impressive career in track and field, Snowden was also named the 2022 MaxPreps Utah High School Football Player of the Year with 30 tackles, six picks and was pivotal in leading Skyridge to a Utah State Title. Given his abilities, Snowden may also compete for reps at nickel early on.
CJ Blocker
Freshman
6-foot, 175 pounds
Like Snowden, Blocker can fly. He also displays great coverage skills and should be immediately able to step into the rotation. He was a big get for Utah in the previous class, as he was committed, then decommitted, before realizing Utah was the right choice for him all along. During the time of his initial decommitment, he added offers from USC and Alabama to a list of over 27 offers.
Jocelyn Malaska
Redshirt Freshman
6-foot-1, 178 pounds
Malaska saw action in three games in 2022, preserving his redshirt year. Two of those were in the Pac-12 Championship Game and the Rose Bowl. He’ll be fighting for backup reps, but he might be a year away from true defensive action. He should be a valuable contributor on special teams.
Kenzel Lawler
Sophomore
5-foot-11, 184 pounds
After two years of not seeing any action, Lawler played in five games in 2022. Most of his time was on special teams. This season, he’ll have to fend off talented newcomers for the backup reps. He should see a valuable role on special teams coverage.
UteNation Take
By all reports, Battle has looked phenomenal ever since he arrived on campus. It should be an intense battle between him and Broughton to start on the opposite end of Vaughn. Regardless, both will see a lot of action. At nickelback, the spring favorite was Johnson, but Davis performed admirably when Johnson was limited with injury. Don’t be surprised to see one of Snowden or Blocker get either valuable backup reps or push for the nickel spot.
