Utah’s Cornerback Battle: Blake Cotton Is Making His Move

Aug 13, 2025, 8:00 AM | Updated: 9:49 am

Utah Insider

SALT LAKE CITY—As Utah football nears the conclusion of camp before kickoff of the 2025 season, several roster spots are starting to come into focus, including an important starting cornerback role.

When Utah opened fall camp, Sharrieff Shah wasn’t ready to name a favorite for the starting spot opposite returning standout Scooby Davis.

“I really don’t know, I just don’t,” Sharrieff Shah admitted on day one. “Be it Donovan Saunders, Blake Cotton, Jeremiah Caldwell, JC Hart from Auburn… then we have a few young kids who are hungry; LaTristan Thompson, Jason Stokes. I don’t know, I just am excited because there are legitimate kids that can really factor into a game right now.”

That excitement has been fueled by a competitive room where veterans and newcomers alike have made strong impressions. But after two weeks of competition, the picture has started to shift.

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Blake Cotton appears to be emerging at cornerback

Following Utah’s first scrimmage, head coach Kyle Whittingham gave the first hint that the competition might be tilting in one direction.

“Blake Cotton right now is starting to make a push (for that starting job), so I’d say he’s got the edge right now,” Whittingham said after Monday’s practice.

For the 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior, the rise hasn’t been about flashy moments as much as steady, day-by-day growth and the play-by-play grind.

“For me, development has been my emphasis and just daily improvement— taking what the coaches are saying and taking one step forward every day,” Blake Cotton shared after Tuesday’s practice.

“The mentality you have to have as a defensive back, when stuff goes wrong, you just gotta keep going; it’s that dog mentality. All the man coverage we play, we’re gonna be on that island most of the time, so we know we gotta buckle down and fight.” – Blake Cotton

Ask Cotton what sets him apart, and he’ll probably refer back to his mentality. It’s the ideal way to approach playing defensive back: short-term memory, long-term fight.

“I would say my physicality and just my mindset,” he explained. “I’ve said it a million times, but when stuff goes wrong, just forget about it, and keep going.”

There’s confidence within Sharrieff Shah’s room

Cotton’s approach fits well with Utah’s physical style on the perimeter. He believes the unit as a whole brings a relentless edge to the table.

“I think we provide physicality, relentlessness, and just the will to go on whenever things get tough, because that’s what you’ve got to do as DBs,” he said.

Cotton’s confidence extends beyond his own game; he believes the Utah corners are built to compete at a high level. Cotton credits the coaching and the detail they demand as the biggest difference for him and others.

“I say we’re pretty well prepared, the coaching is way more technical,” he said. “Obviously, we go with the mindset that we always gotta keep improving, but for the most part, we’ve got the talent, the speed, the strength.”

“Buckle down and fight”

Position battles aren’t decided in one scrimmage, but momentum matters. Right now, Cotton has it, thanks to his physicality, mental toughness, and steady climb through camp.

“We’re on that island most of the time,” Cotton said with a grin. “We know we gotta buckle down and fight.”

That’s exactly the sort of attitude that tends to find success in Utah secondaries. If he continues to build on his daily progress and bring the “dog mentality” he preaches, that will go a long way for his outlook this season.