UTAH UTES

Nate Johnson No Longer With Utah Football, Intends To Transfer

Nov 24, 2023, 4:21 PM | Updated: Nov 26, 2023, 7:45 pm

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah quarterback Nate Johnson is no longer with the program and will be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal according to sources.

Rumors began swirling late Wednesday before the Utes’ last home game against the Colorado Buffaloes.

This story was first broken by Josh Newman of KSL.com.

Johnson ended up playing quite a bit in 2023 both as the outright starter and co-starter with Bryson Barnes after Cam Rising ended up not being available for the year.

Johnson’s departure from the program leaves Barnes, Brandon Rose, Mack Howard, and Luke Bottari to finish out the 2023 season.

More About Nate Johnson’s 2023 Season

The redshirt freshman was elevated to the primary starter three games into 2023 for Utah football after pulling some late-game heroics to secure a win for the Utes on the road against Baylor.

Johnson remained in that position for three games- Weber State, UCLA, and Oregon State, but was then replaced for Bryson Barnes for the remainder of the year.

Johnson was 2-1 as the outright starter with an additional two wins against Florida and Baylor as a co-starter with Barnes.

In 2023 Johnson completed 39 of 72 passes attempted for 499 yards, and three touchdowns. He also accumulated 59 rushes for an additional 235 yards and four more touchdowns.

Johnson was briefly introduced to the Utes in his freshman year in 2022 as a wildcat option later in the season after Cam Rising was slowed up by a knee injury sustained against USC in Salt Lake City.

Johnson had five carries that year for 51 yards and two touchdowns along with one pass attempt for a touchdown in three games played- Arizona, Stanford, and USC in the Pac-12 Title Game.

Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports

Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports. 

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.

  • Utah Utes Scoreboard

  • Utah Utes Team Leaders

  • Utah Utes Standings

Utah Utes

Braden Pegan with a touchdown reception over Therrian Alexander. How to watch Arizona game on tv, r...

Steve Bartle

How To Watch Utah Football At Arizona: Kickoff Time, TV And Radio

Utah football visits Arizona on Nov. 14 at 5:30 p.m. MT on FOX. Kickoff, TV and radio details, plus Big Noon Kickoff information for the Big 12 game.

20 hours ago

Morgan Scalley leading Utah football to new heights with belief, culture, and vision....

Steve Bartle

Morgan Scalley is building belief in what Utah football can become

Morgan Scalley has Utah unbeaten and united, building belief, trust and momentum around a shared vision that extends beyond the rivalry wins.

23 hours ago

Braden Pegan scores a touchdown for Utah football. Social media reacts to the win over BYU....

Steve Bartle

Social media reacts to Utah football’s rivalry win over BYU

National media react as Utah football beats BYU 28-20 to reach 9-0, with praise for Devon Dampier, playoff buzz and celebrations.

2 days ago

Devon Dampier leads Utah football to rivalry victory...

Steve Bartle

Takeaways: Morgan Scalley’s culture delivers as Utah beats BYU, reaches 9-0

Utah rallied past BYU 28-20 to reach 9-0 behind Devon Dampier, four interceptions and a second-half shutout. Five takeaways from Utah’s win.

2 days ago

Alec Anigbata helped lead Utah basketball to the 67-57 win over Towson....

Steve Bartle

Takeaways: Utah basketball wins, but turnovers keep progress uneven

Utah basketball had to grind it out against Towson, overcoming 18 turnovers, but ultimately come away with the win.

4 days ago

International G Matija Lukic set to visit Utah basketball....

Steve Bartle

Utah basketball to host Serbian prospect Matija Lukic on official visit

Alex Jensen, Utah basketball is set to host fast-rising international prospect Matija Lukic for an official visit this weekend.

4 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

KSL Sports

Northern Utah Player of the Week – Parker Moffat

The John Watson Northern Utah High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school football player in Northern Utah.

Photos provided by families of featured athletes...

KSL Sports

Northern Utah Player of the Week – Week 7 – Carson Murphy

The John Watson Northern Utah High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school football player in Northern Utah.

Photos provided by family of featured athletes...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 13 – Stacia Peoples & Gavin Lowe

The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County.

...

Northern Utah High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 13 – Rachel McBride & Lincoln Smith

The John Watson Northern Utah High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Northern Utah.

Photos provided by featured athletes...

Utah County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 13 – Janiece Sikander & Brody Thompson

The Mr. Mac Utah County High School Player of the Week is awarded each week to the top prep boy's and girl's basketball players in Utah County.

Photos provided by featured athletes...

Salt Lake County High School Basketball Players of the Week – Week 12 – Evy Roberts & Krew Eckman

The Hercules Salt Lake County High School Player of the Week is celebrating the best high school basketball players in Salt Lake County.

Nate Johnson No Longer With Utah Football, Intends To Transfer