Cornerback is a position of interest for the Utah Utes in the transfer portal, and on Friday, they took the first step toward filling out that room.
Akron cornerback Elijah Reed will be transferring to Utah, according to a report from On3’s Steve Wiltfong Friday evening.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound redshirt junior had 47 tackles, two interceptions, a sack and four pass breakups last season for the the Zips. He had a Pro Football Focus grade of 77.6.
Prior to his two seasons at Akron, Reed spent a year with Kentucky.
Starting cornerback Scooby Davis will return to the Utes for his senior season, but with Smith Snowden transferring and Blake Cotton out of eligibility, Utah will be replacing two of its starting corners in 2026.
The contenders for the open starting cornerback jobs include Rock Caldwell, Jason Stokes Jr. and JC Hart. Reed will provide the room with depth and could compete for a spot in the rotation.
Reed is the fourth defensive player to transfer to Utah this offseason, joining Oklahoma safety Marcus Wimberly, Wyoming defensive tackle Lucas Samsula and North Texas defensive end Ethan Day.