Even when there are questions about the University of Utah’s safety group, there should never be any doubts. Led by one of the most respected safety coaches in the country, Defensive Coordinator Morgan Scalley, this group always seems to perform. This should be no different in 2022 as they look to replace starter Vonte Davis and early season starter, Brandon McKinney.

With only one safety spot up for grabs—thanks to the late season emergence of Cole Bishop—the battle should be intense, as Scalley looks to find his next great safety duo.

The Starters

Cole Bishop, Sophomore

6-foot-2 and 205 pounds

Cole Bishop started the final six games of his true freshman season on his way to Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition. He likely would have been a game one starter if it wasn’t for an early season injury.

Bishop really came on in the second half of the season, but especially when it mattered most. In the first meeting with Oregon, Bishop blocked a field goal, had seven tackles, and two pass breakups. He then had a team-high eight tackles with a sack in the Pac-12 Championship game. In the Rose Bowl, Bishop continued to fly all over the field with eight tackles and a fumble recovery. He established himself as one of the best young safeties in the conference last year and should continue to be an impact player and a tone setter for the defense.

RJ Hubert, Senior

6-foot and 195 pounds

Man, talk about someone that deserves luck to finally go their way… Hubert has seen a promising college career derailed by injuries. He sat out most of 2021 recovering from a leg injury, but he did see some time in the Rose Bowl game. Before his injury, Hubert was really making strides defensively and was the favorite for the starting free safety spot. If he is fully healthy, he’s the early favorite to take over for Vonte Davis—who at one point would have been viewed as Hubert’s backup.

The Contenders

Kamo’i Latu, Sophomore

6-foot and 195 pounds

Latu really started to make a name for himself in spring ball last year and it resulted in him seeing playing time in every game in 2021, including a start at USC. In that USC start, Latu recorded a team-high 10 tackles with a pass breakup. While Latu’s playing style is more built for the strong safety position, he’s versatile enough to be able to factor in at free safety and compete with Hubert.

Sione Vaki, Freshman

6-foot and 185 pounds

Vaki is a return missionary that originally signed with the 2019 class. A former NorCal Player of the Year out of Brentwood, CA, Vaki has the potential to jump in and push for valuable snaps in spring ball. He’s a versatile athlete that flies all over the field and likes to come downhill in the run game. He can play either safety position, and it’s not out of the question that he could emerge as the starting free safety by the end of spring camp. The program is extremely high on him and excited to see him in action.

Darrien Stewart, R-Freshman

6-foot and 188 pounds

Stewart saw action in three games last season after being a highly rated recruit out of the state of Nevada in 2020. He has the ideal frame at safety with a nose for the football and a solid tackler. He had trackstar speed, running on his state championship 4x400 meter relay team in 2018, so he also has speed to keep up with fast receivers.

This spring will be important for Stewart to take that next step forward, especially with the free safety position up for grabs.

Ben Renfro, Sophomore

6-foot-1 and 199 pounds

Renfro has been back and forth from safety to wide receiver, but the main action he’s seen has been on special teams, where he saw action in 10 games last season. He’s still relatively new to learning the nuances at safety, so if this is indeed his position for 2022, he likely still will need some development time.

UteNation Take

Bishop’s strong safety spot is locked down, as he looks to be the next in a long history of elite Utah safeties. Backing him up, will most likely be Latu. The intrigue of the spring will be the free safety battle between Hubert and Vaki. It’s difficult to predict how that will play out, with Vaki fresh off his mission and Hubert finally healthy. The staff has been high on Hubert for a long time, so he should be viewed as the early favorite for the other starting spot.