Utah football is losing one of its depth pieces in the secondary.
Jadon Pearson, a junior college transfer, announced on social media Wednesday that he will redshirt this season and enter the NCAA transfer portal as a graduate transfer, with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot-3, 208-pound Pearson also announced last spring he had entered the transfer portal, but he came back to Utah and played in four games this season as a reserve — missing only the Oregon State game — and had four tackles, including three solo.
By playing in four or fewer games, Pearson, who joined the Utes from Reedley College ahead of the 2022 season, will be able to use a redshirt this season.
He played in 13 games as a reserve in 2022, mainly on special teams, and finished the year with five tackles.
While the Utes have had a long list of injury issues that have tested their depth during the 2023 season, they are set at safety.
All-Pac-12 performer Cole Bishop has started every game at free safety for Utah, while Sione Vaki has started all five games at strong safety.
Freshman Nate Ritchie has served as Bishop’s backup and played in four games, while true freshman Johnathan Hall has seen action in four games backing Vaki and has five tackles.
Other safeties who have seen action for Utah this season include USC transfer Briton Allen, who made his Utes debut against Oregon State, and Darrien “Bleu” Stewart.
Pearson was a three-star junior college transfer coming out of Reedley, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings, and was rated the No. 34 junior college player in the recruiting class.
He held scholarship offers from a dozen schools, per 247 Sports, a list that includes Power Five programs Oregon State, Florida State, Washington State, Missouri, Indiana and Kansas, along with several Mountain West schools.