In the dog days of summer, with football still months away, Tao Johnson dedicated his offseason to spending hours watching film.
Utah’s sophomore safety also chatted with the likes of former star safeties Cole Bishop and Marcus Williams, two Utah players who went to the NFL after learning under defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley, to soak in the intricacies of the position. Johnson was converted from the cornerback position to free safety this spring under the direction of head coach Kyle Whittingham, who liked his natural feel for the spot.
With the season three weeks away, this is where the rubber meets the road for Johnson. He has aspirations of being one of the next great safeties in Salt Lake City and that begins with taking a day-by-day approach in the Utes’ secondary.
Johnson feels poised to make a big impact this season.
“I think free safety and safety in general is my position,” Johnson said. “And, playing all those other positions has helped me just grow throughout camp. I never got it. That’s kind of my thing, I never got it (figured out). I’m always trying to grow in different areas, and it gets down to the littlest things. Every day I’m working on something new, trying to build on it and become a better player.”
In 2023, his first season at nickelback following a stint at wide receiver, Johnson showcased a plethora of skills that ultimately landed him in the free safety position this season. He finished with 33 tackles, five pass break ups — a total that was second on defense last season — and a lone fumble recovery.
Now, Johnson is embracing Scalley’s first-hand, intense leadership in Utah’s secondary. He embraces the challenge because he not only wants to get better, but focusing on the details has helped Scalley’s players land in the NFL.
“I love it because that’s 100% what I need,” Johnson said. “I’m a guy who’s hard on myself from the get go. I wouldn’t want anybody to be easy on me. … I want to know where I need to grow at what I’m doing wrong and what I need to do to be great. So, I 100% love it. I think the whole program was kind of built off tough love. It creates strong minded individuals and physical individuals. I live and try to embrace it everyday.”
Johnson wants to display his growth in all avenues, whether it be pass rushing, playing inside the box, man coverage, a trait that cornerbacks and special teams coach Sharrieff Shah praised of the free safety in the first week of fall camp.
And soon, the sophomore will be able to put his growth to the test.
“A lot of talented guys who come here are ready to craft their game and become the next dude,” Johnson said. " It takes a little bit of both. You have to be willing to be that guy and then also humble yourself and grow your game to become that guy.”
(Eli Rehmer | Utah Athletics) Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, left, and head coach Kyle Whittingham, center, observe Utah football practice Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
Backup quarterback battle sees movement
The Utes have movement in their backup quarterback competition.
Whittingham provided updates on the three-way race between Cal Poly transfer senior Sam Huard, sophomore Brandon Rose and freshman Isaac Wilson, the younger brother of former BYU and now-Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson.
“We did have some little bit of separation,” Whittingham said on Monday. “But, it’s not enough to make any depth chart statements or radical changes. It will probably go another week with the way we’re handling the reps and getting people involved. By (Monday), we’ve got to determine who is two, three and four behind Cam (Rising), and so that’s the timetable.
“We did make progress last week. I’m not going to say it’s a dead heat anymore because there has been some jockeying in the positioning, as to what’s taking place, but I’m not ready to make any public statements about that.”
Utah’s head coach was complimentary of Huard, a former five-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting class. Not participating in the Utes’ spring training camp, Huard has had to play catch up on offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s offensive philosophy and game plan.
Now that he’s had a full week of training camp under his belt, the lefty has been able to showcase his skills in Utah’s offense.
“Despite playing catch up in the assimilation of the offense, he’s done a good job,” Whittingham said. “He’s a really bright kid and has made a lot of ground and is executing pretty darn well given his situation not being here in spring ball. That was the biggest deficit that he faced was just lack of knowledge in the offense.”
In his first media appearance since transferring to Utah this offseason, Huard detailed his experience and difficulties leaving Washington, where both his father Damon Huard and uncle Brock Huard played quarterback, and joining Cal Poly. After dealing with coaching instability at both stops, he finally feels like he found a home in Salt Lake City.
It’s unclear whether or not Huard is the frontrunner to be starting quarterback Cam Rising’s backup, but he’s determined to give the race his best shot.
“It’s allowed me to be in this position now,” Huard said. “Knowing that this is a great opportunity, It’s also going to be tough. It’s going to be hard, but I feel like all those are all things that I’ve gone through these past few years have prepared me to come in here just to compete every day. I know that this thing is a process, and know that when I get an opportunity that I’ll be ready.”
(Ryan Sun | AP) Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano celebrates after the team's win against Southern California in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Offensive line starters in place
Despite having competition at multiple offensive positions, Utah’s offensive line starters are all but locked in.
“We have the starting five across the front that are playing together right now,” Whittingham said. “We’ve got five behind them that are doing a good job. We have two or three guys that aren’t practicing yet and that will figure into the six to 10 (backup) positions down the line.”
While Utah’s starting depth chart has yet to be released, sophomore offensive lineman Spencer Fano will likely slot in at right tackle this season. He was one of the only true freshmen in the nation to start at left tackle at the beginning of last season.
He’s excited about the versatility of Utah’s offensive line but also the opportunity to showcase to NFL scouts that he can play on both sides of the trenches.
“I feel like I am ahead of the curve just because of the experiences I was able to get last year,” Fano said last week.
This season, with Rising back in the fold at quarterback, protecting Utah’s starting quarterback has been a priority, but he says the offensive line isn’t focused too much on that.
They’re taking everything in stride.
“We’re just trying to win every rep,” Fano said. “We’re trying to win every single rep and block people as long as we can. I don’t think that’s ever been different.”
