This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Redshirt freshman defensive back Damian Payne has left the Utah football team to attend to some family issues. His absence will be felt by the Utes since they were expecting him to contribute this season, but I don't think it will take long for them to find the depth to replace him. The Utes have several young defensive backs who show a lot of promise. Case in point was Monday's morning session when Conroy Black, a projected starter at corner, went out with a thigh bruise. In his place went sophomore Wykie Freeman, a 5-11, 175-pounder out of Texas who made several nice pass breakups. The defense has done well in camp and seems to be settling into a rotation of about 18 to 19 guys who will play the majority of the time, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said after practice. I'll have more from practice later. In the meantime the new depth chart is out with few surprises on it. True freshman Nate Fakahafua continues to make headway and Mo Lee is listed as Black's backup. John White is solidified as the No. 1 running back and Tauni Vakapuna as the No. 2 guy. That leaves Harvey Langi and Thretton Palamo competing for the No. 3 spot.