Utah football position preview: Secondary entering 2026 fall camp

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The Utah Utes enter fall camp with plenty of reasons to believe they can make a run at the Big 12 championship.

The Utes are coming off an 11-win season in which the offense averaged 41.2 points and 482.9 yards per game. They return their starting quarterback, their leading rusher and several important defensive pieces.

But this is not the same team.

Morgan Scalley is entering his first full season as Utah’s head coach. Kevin McGiven has taken over the offense. Utah officially lists more than 100 players on its 2026 roster, but plenty of roles will still be decided over the next month.

Here's the fifth installment of a six-part look at Utah's roster.

Cornerback: B+

Utah has options at corner.

The question is how Sharrieff Shah arranges them. Elijah “Scooby” Davis returns after starting 11 games last season. His experience makes him the safest projected starter entering camp.

Elijah Reed is a candidate to start on the other side. JC Hart also has the size and Power Four experience to compete for that job, having begun his career at Auburn.

Rock Caldwell is the favorite at nickel. At 6-foot-3, he gives Utah a bigger body who can match up with receivers and contribute against the run.

James Chenault gives Utah a more experienced option. Freshmen Major Hinchen and Dylan Waters may not be needed immediately, but both have the type of size Utah likes at corner. This room is deeper than it looks from the outside.

Utah has grown used to entering seasons with a Clark Phillips, Zemaiah Vaughn or Smith Snowden type already established. This year’s group has to determine who takes the opponent’s best receiver.The talent is there.Shah now has to find the right combination.

Safety: A-

Safety may be the best position group on the defense.

Rabbit Evans returns after missing nearly all of last season with an injury. Before that, he started five games in 2024 and showed that he could be a physical, dependable presence on the back end.

Jackson Bennee emerged last season as one of the best players on the field.Bennee played in all 13 games, started 11 times on defense and led Utah with four interceptions. He also showed enough versatility to contribute on offense when needed.

Evans and Bennee should be the starting tandem.Behind them, former 4-star Nate Ritchie returns from his own season-ending injury. Nate Tilmon made progress during spring camp and should be part of the rotation.

Oklahoma transfer Marcus Wimberly and the rest of the young safeties give Derrick Odum plenty of options.

Utah has experience, depth, physicality and playmaking ability at safety.

That group should help stabilize a defense replacing starters at nearly every other level.