Utah safety Rabbit Evans made the most of his return to the field on Thursday, and he made it clear afterward that the moment meant something to him.
“It felt amazing. You know, when we first came out, I was smiling, just soaking in the moment.
It's been a while. It felt good to be out there with my teammates.”
Evans, who said his first open-field tackle in about a year came with a burst of relief, described that hit as one of the night’s standout moments for him.
“Felt great. That was my first, like, open-field tackle in like a year or so. Just being able to feel that, it felt good.”
He also got on the board with a fumble recovery early in the game, and he explained how quickly the play unfolded.
“Shoot. I saw the quarterback go like this, and then it was like a cartoon.
The ball just fell out of his hands, and it was right there in front of me. But yeah, luckily I was in the right place at the right time.”
Evans said one of the things he takes the most pride in is communication, both on and off the field.
“I would say just communication, you know, on the field, just being able to communicate the calls to my teammates, and off the field, just shoot. Yeah, communication.
I don't know. That's a good question though.
That's a great question.”
Looking ahead to Arkansas, Evans didn’t sugarcoat the challenge.
“They're big, fast, strong. They're a well-coached team, so it's going to be good to compete against them for sure. Good test.”
The blowout win also gave Utah’s younger defenders a chance to get on the field, and Evans liked what he saw from Nate Tilmon, Manny Fuller and Marcus Wimberly.
“Those guys were filling alleys fast. Like, it was good to see them coming down and tackling.
It was good to see them just having fun out there. That's really the main thing, like just being able to go out there, have fun, playing free.
So it was good to see that in the young guys.”
Asked about the way Utah’s defense is used in an aggressive scheme, Evans pointed back to preparation.
“You know, just watching film, just being able to understand and know what's going on, having a feel for what their offense is going to do. So, you know, film study and just communication, just preparing right with my teammates.”
And when it comes to the number of roles the defense asks of him, Evans said the work in spring was what really made everything click.
“Honestly, shoot, probably spring, really. Like, just being able to get those reps in spring, we were able to, like, be it because all 3 of us could play a lot of positions.
Like, so it was just us being able to play nickel, safety, free safety, strong safety, just doing all those things in the spring, where it was great to have those reps under us. So I'll say spring.”
In Other News...
Utah Defense Faces An Early Test With Elijah Reed In Focus
Elijah Reed wasted little time making an impression in his first game for Utah, earning praise after starting in the season-opening win. The former Akron transfer, who began his college career at Kentucky, met with the media afterward and reflected on what it meant to get that first look in a Ute uniform while the defense settled into the rhythm it wanted to show early in the year.
Reed also turned his attention to the next challenge, a matchup with Arkansas that will give Utah an even clearer read on where its defense stands. He sounded confident in the group and discussed how the unit is sorting out roles and leaning on its plan, but the bigger question now is how that approach holds up when the competition ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Safeties Face Their First Real Test Against Arkansas
Derrick Odum got a useful first look at his Utah safeties in the opener, and the early returns gave the Utes a little to build on. The safeties coach pointed to the groups tackling, communication and the way different players showed up within the scheme, all of it part of an opening performance that offered some reassurance as the defense settles in.
Arkansas brings a different kind of stress test, though, and Odum knows the next one will ask more of that back end. Utahs aggressive front already forced some adjustments in the first game, and now the safeties have to handle an offense that can challenge them in more ways, making this a cleaner measure of how far the group has come and how much more work still remains. [Read more 🡒]
Byrd Ficklin Might Be More Than Utahs Typical Backup QB
Byrd Ficklin spent part of Utahs win over Idaho reminding people that a backup quarterback can still have a real role in shaping a game. Ficklin talked about his development at the position, the backing he has gotten from teammates and coaches, and the enjoyment he takes from being asked to do more than one thing on the field. For a program that values depth and versatility, he has quickly become the kind of player who can fit wherever he is needed.
His throw in the game drew a viral reaction, which only added another layer to a performance that already stood out in a supporting role. Ficklin addressed the attention afterward, and the response underscored why his value may go beyond the usual backup QB label. Utah has plenty to sort through at the position, but Ficklins willingness to embrace multiple jobs gives the staff another option worth watching. [Read more 🡒]