Utes Spring Outlook: Safeties
The Utah defensive backfield will have to fill the shoes of All-Conference players of Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki as they head off to the NFL. However, reloading at the safety position is a regular off season assignment for Utah football, and there are plenty of guys who have waited their turn.
Spring ball will be the time to start sorting out the pecking order. This should be an exciting group to keep an eye on.
Tao Johnson
6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, Sophomore
After switching from wide receiver to nickel back ahead of the 2023 season, he played in all 13 games last season with 12 starts. Johnson ranked second on the team with five pass breakups. Throughout the season, he also saw his fair share of time at free safety, as Whittingham stated that was his long term position.
The more reps he gets at safety, the better he’ll get, and Utah is extremely high on his potential.
Johnathan Hall
6-foot and 215 pounds, Sophomore
If he wasn’t battling for playing time with two All-American safeties in 2023, Hall would already be a household name heading into his sophomore season. His first start as a Ute came at safety vs. Northwestern in the Las Vegas Bowl. Hall is expected to be a key contributor once the season rolls around, so taking advantage of all the reps he gets in the spring will be crucial.
Nate Ritchie
6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, Sophomore
After starting for Utah as a Covid freshman, Ritchie chose to serve an LDS Mission. He returned for the 2023 season and it took him a while to knock the rust off. Heading into spring ball, he finds himself in a battle with Johnathan Hall for the starting strong safety spot. If the Ritchie of 2020 re-emerges, Utah will have a good problem on their hands and could experiment with moving Hall around the secondary.
Alaka’i Gilman
5-foot-10 and 194 pounds, Senior
Gilman started 13 of 32 games at Stanford from 2020-23, earning Honorable Mention All-Conference in 2023. With his transfer to Utah, he’s following in the footsteps of Gabe Reid and Levani Damuni. Both Reid and Samuni took full advantage of their opportunities after injuries hit their position groups. Time will tell with Gilman, but he’ll have a tougher road to starting at Utah than he did at Stanford.
Briton Allen
6-foot and 190 pounds, Senior
The talent is there from the USC transfer, but injuries derailed two years of his college career and last year he was knocking off the rust. Could he surprise and reach his high potential? Of course. However, the best case scenario might be him being a crucial depth piece for the Utes.
Jeilani Davis
6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Freshman
A bit of a wildcard, Davis started at national powerhouse Mater Dei. He graduated early to participate in spring ball. Utah has a long history of freshmen stepping up at the safety position. Could Davis be the next?
UteNation Take
Johnson, Hall and Ritchie are most likely the ones to battle for the starting spots, with the others offering intriguing depth at the safety spot. Johnson's time in the slot last season should offer the defensive coaches some unique packages as his game continues to develop. Don't be surprised to possibly see some 3-safety looks to take advantage of this group.