Utah has lost another defensive back to the transfer portal, as Kenan Johnson has entered the transfer portal, according to a report from 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Johnson was expected to be a starting cornerback for the Utes in 2025 and spent just one season in Salt Lake City. He missed the entire 2024 season after suffering a season-ending knee injury against Southern Utah in the season-opener last August.
A Florida native, Johnson transferred to Utah after spending five seasons at Georgia Tech, totaling 60 tackles, three forced fumbles, and an interception with the Yellowjackets.
Objectively, this loss stings for the Utes, as Johnson is the second starting corner to leave the program this cycle.
Cameron Calhoun left the program earlier in the cycle after he was reportedly offered “nearly double” the NIL money he was making at Utah, making that both starting corners out the door for Kyle Whittingham’s defense.
With Calhoun and Johnson gone, Utah will need guys like Smith Snowden and Elijah Davis to emerge and take the starting corner spots if they hope to offset their losses.
The transfer portal officially opened on Monday, December 9, 2024, and closed on Saturday, December 28, except for players on teams who play bowl games after the window closes. According to NCAA data, 2,273 FBS football players entered the transfer portal in 2023-24 school year, with 1,558 (68.5%) undergraduates and 715 (31.5%) graduate transfers. Of the entrants, 57% reported that they enrolled in another school, 8% withdrew their names from the portal, and 35% are still active, transferred to a non-NCAA school, or left their sport.
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