- Jackson Bennee, a former walk-on player, is impressing Utah football coaches with his performance.
- Bennee, a defensive back, is competing for playing time at the nickel position.
- Teammates and coaches praise his work ethic, calling him a 'poster child' for the program.
SALT LAKE CITY — There's been numerous examples over the years of walk-on players finding success with Utah football.
And each example is an individual story of perseverance, grit and determination to overcome the stacked odds and prove one's worth in the system. The walk-on player is an entrepreneur of football, selling himself to the coaching staff with his work ethic and performance on the field.
The latest example at Utah may just be defensive back Jackson Bennee, the Salt Lake City native who prepped at Olympus High before walking on with the Utes last season.
Bennee played in all 12 games last season, primarily on special teams, but followed it up with a standout spring that turned some heads. He's since backed that up in the first week of fall camp and is now pushing for playing time at nickel — a spot occupied by defensive star Smith Snowden.
And though Snowden is at no risk of losing his job to Bennee, per se, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said it's a good problem to have for the strength of the team's defense.
"It gives us that flexibility, because Jackson is operating in the nickel spot a lot," Whittingham said. "But if we had to play tomorrow, it would be Smith inside at the nickel. But Smith is getting a ton of work on the outside during these early stages of fall camp in case we get to that spot."
The desire is to have Snowden on the field as much as possible — whether at nickel or corner — and Bennee's level of play at nickel has made that much easier for Whittingham and defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley to move around some assets.
"I'm just trying to see the field however I can," Bennee said. "When they said we need you at nickel, I was happy. I was more than happy to go down there — although it's definitely been a challenge."
It's a challenging position that can sometime expose players — Bennee admits to having that happen a time or two — but one that is a vital component to Utah's defensive schemes. And the defensive coaching staff feels confident in what they have with Bennee in that position.
"He is just a product of phenomenal coaching, a tremendous individual desire to be better than what anybody may have expected, and just recognizing in himself, 'Hey, I'm capable.' ... That confidence has come because you have attempted to execute the techniques that we're teaching," cornerback coach Sharrieff Shah said. "You have applied yourself in a way that other people won't, and you've bought in.
"Jackson has been amazing, and what you're seeing from him, we believe, is just the tip of the iceberg for Jackson. His development has been fantastic."
The former Olympus High multi-sport athlete has simply been "phenomenal," Shah said in spring.
"He's a kid that has just worked and worked and worked," he said. "You're talking about a poster child of our program of somebody that says, buy in — buy in on everything that we're telling you, from your technique, your pad level, your eyes or hand placement, just buy in. And he has completely bought in."
And that's been easily picked up on by teammates, too. Starting free safety Tao Johnson said Bennee has been an "addict" at wanting to get better each day.
From the film room to backing it up on the field, Bennee has prove his mettle in every instance.
"Bennee is a literal just what it looks like to come to Utah and develop," Johnson said. "When he came here, he didn't really know how to back peddle or anything, and now he's a starter, he's a one. He's smooth, he's athletic, he's smart. We watch film every day. Bennee is an addict. He's addicted to getting better. ... So I have all the trust and confidence in him."
Though Bennee believes he's nowhere near a finished product, he credits his willingness to do anything the coaching staff asks of him — including playing primarily on special teams — and his film study as a major reason for his early success.
There's also the individual sessions with Scalley and Shah, who continue to help fine tune his game en route to a potential larger role. In the end, he just wants an opportunity to see the field, and that's what keeps him pushing every day to get better.
"I wouldn't have had it any other way," Bennee said. "As a walk-on, people don't really notice you at the beginning. Scholarship guys tend to come first, but that was good; it just gave me a chip on my shoulder."
It's safe to say people are starting to notice him a little more now.
But the work continues as he pushes every day to be in a spot to start on defense; the 2025 season may just be his chance.
"I'd love to be in that position Game 1, but if it's not, that's all right; it'll push me to keep working hard. ... Wherever I am on the field, I'll give it my all. But, yeah, the goal is to be out there on defense."
