Two For Two: Utah Football’s Blake Cotton, Nathan Tilmon
Mar 27, 2025, 7:27 PM
Utah football's Nathan Tilmon and Blake Cotton talk spring ball. Photo by Steve Bartle, KSL Sports
SALT LAKE CITY—On Tuesday, Kyle Whittingham and Utah football welcomed the media back to spring ball practice.
These next four weeks of spring camp will allow Kyle Whittingham’s staff to integrate all the newcomers into Utah football’s culture.
The roster includes many new players, so there is much to learn about this year’s squad. Today, provided an opportunity to talk with two new faces: Nathan Tilmon and Blake Cotton.
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What led to Nathan Tilmon’s decision to commit to Utah?
After backing off of a pledge to SMU, Tilmon ultimately decided between committing to Texas, TCU, or Utah. The Utes won out, largely due to Morgan Scalley and the defensive culture that stood out most to Tilmon as he came to his decision.
“I really just wanted to be coached by Scalley, that’s really what it was,” Tilmon said of his reasoning. “Me and coach Scalley got a great relationship, I look to him like he’s another father figure, he’s a great guy, I love him as a coach and he’s going to get me right.”
For Tilmon, Scalley has largely been exactly what he expected coming into the program.
“He really is mostly the same, he’s just very passionate about football,” Tilmon said. “He just brings it on the field, and he’s passionate, he just wants us to do things right and wants us to be great.”
What does Blake Cotton hope to accomplish at Utah?
Cotton was an important transfer portal addition to the Utah secondary. After three seasons at UC Davis, Cotton comes to Utah with one year left and a mindset that is centered on the team.
“Just do whatever I can to help the team win,” Cotton said. “Considering that it is my last year, I just want to cut it loose, have fun, and dominate.”
According to Cotton, it’s actually been a quick acclimation process for Cotton. As he gets more and more entrenched in the defense, Cotton really likes what Scalley’s defense is all about, especially as a cornerback.
“I would say the aggression, we play a lot of man, and the pressure we bring, it lifts up our confidence” Cotton said. “When he calls man, he believes in us to cover our guy, and allow us to pressure the quarterback too.”
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How big of an adjustment is it coming into the college level?
“It’s been smooth,” Tilmon said of his acclimation into the program. “I’m getting adjusted pretty well, I’m loving it.”
As an early enrollee, the last time Tilmon was on a football field was against high schoolers. Now at the college level, Tilmon acknowledged that it is a significant change.
“It’s a big adjustment, like you really do have to get used to the speed, and how fast college football is,” Tilmon said of his adjustment. “It’s a process, you have to get used to the plays, the calls. It really is a big adjustment because I feel like it wasn’t all that fast in high school.”
What was the transfer process like for Cotton?
He possesses multiple seasons of experience, as well as the traits that Utah covets with his size and athleticism.
“It was kind of spontaneous I would say, because we were still in-season the school I came from, we were in the playoffs,” Cotton said. “I entered the portal right when it opened. I just wanted to explore other opportunities and play bigger (competition) too, that’s been a goal of mine since high school.”
