Smith Snowden On Utah Commitment: The Coaches’ Relationship Is Everything To Me
Dec 12, 2022, 4:18 PM
SALT LAKE CITY- Skyridge cornerback Smith Snowden will be heading to the University of Utah this coming fall. Snowden hopped on Hans and Scotty Monday afternoon to spill all the details of his big decision, revealing the relationships he built with the Utah coaches helped put them over the edge of other great options such as BYU, Colorado and Tennessee.
“The coaches’ relationship is everything to me,” Snowden said to Hans and Scotty. “I built a great relationship with every single coach that recruited me, but I think this one is different and special.”
Snowden said the first Utah coach to reach out to him was his now future position coach Sharrieff Shah.
View this post on Instagram
“He was kind of the main reason of this decision, honestly,” Snowden said. “Just him coming to my house and telling the plan for me. Having coach Whittingham there and coach Scalley was just- it was a really special moment for me.”
Scheme Mattered
Anyone that has watched Snowden play the past three seasons at Skyridge know he’s a relentless, smart, nasty, ball hawk out on the field which fits perfectly with what Utah loves to do defensively. In fact, it’s their motto, RSNB. Hans asked Snowden if scheme played a factor in the talented cornerback’s decision and he said, “yes”.
“If you watch my film, I like to play man,” Snowden said.
Committed! Super Grateful for everyone who has recruited me and supported me through this process.🙏🏽@bangulo @RivalsFriedman @On3Recruits @AlphaRecruits15 @alpha_lbu @Ezwrighter10 @SkysTheLimitWR @SNOW_DEN15 pic.twitter.com/PVVkY2J7mm
— Smith Snowden (@SnowdenSmith) December 12, 2022
Seeing the list of players Shah, Scalley and Whitt have helped send to the NFL over the years as well as being able to observe and talk to Clark Phillips III were other big selling points for Snowden as well.
“He’s the man,” Snowden said of Phillips III. “Just getting the time to talk to him and everything- he left a great legacy and the same with Jaylon Johnson and all the people before him. I feel really good about it.”
Winning Helps
Snowden said he had his mind pretty well made up by the time the Utes went to the Pac-12 Championship Game and then watching them win it convincingly left no doubts.
View this post on Instagram
“It’s been in the back of my head since probably that Pac-12 Championship win,” Snowden said. “I felt like they played a hard USC and the Heisman winner- the way they showed the defense. In my opinion defense wins games and I think they take a lot of pride in defense.”
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 Twitter and Instagram: @BodkinKSLsports
