In last year’s Rose Bowl, Utah’s secondary was depleted due to injuries.
But as the 2022 season gets set to kick off, the Utes seem to be healthy again.
JaTravis Broughton, Faybian Marks, Zemaiah Vaughn and Malone Mataele are back and ready to go.
“When you have a collection of really good ball players, guys with experience and guys that you’re going to rely on heavily,” said cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah. “We don’t win the (Pac-12) championship last year without Faybian Marks, Zemaiah Vaughn and Malone Mataele. We don’t win. Those players come back with a renewed sense of confidence and accomplishment.”
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley is grateful to have a lot of options to play opposite of cornerback Clark Phillips III.
“Man, it’s nice to have those bodies back. Zemaiah Vaughn got injured in the Pac-12 championship game,” he said. “You get Faybian back, and JT, who was lost in the BYU game with a labrum. It allows us to do much more schematically. Coach Shah is a great coach and he’s coached them up.”
Shah is happy to have Broughton back in the fold.
“JT, I absolutely love that boy. It was so good to have him back this spring. When you’ve been out for four or five months, you remember it but it’s still that muscle memory and having that rust knocked off was painful,” he said.
“When he got comfortable using his shoulder, when he started running, you could see his confidence just soar. He’s such a valuable asset to our room. Not only because of the plays that he’s made for the program but the workman attitude he brings every day. A pleasant kid to be around. Fun. He gives us the depth that we need. He’s one of our more physical corners. A legitimate 4.3 kid. But he shows up on the edge.”
