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His first career touchdown was one of the better catches Utah had last year.

As a cornerback clung all over him, Tyrone Smith reached out with his left arm and clutched a pass from Troy Williams as he was backing toward the sideline. It took him 28 receptions to land in the end zone for the first time.

It was also, as it turns out, probably the last reception Smith will get. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound junior is a cornerback now, following a path that has become familiar to Utes fans: A big-bodied, long-limbed athlete on offense converts to defense in the hopes of being even more impactful.

But Smith doesn't see it as an indictment of his receiving ability. He's taken the change in stride.

"I was supposed come in and play defense, but I messed around at receiver and ended up staying there for a while," he said. "It's kind of fun. I'm just blessed to have the opportunity to play both sides."

Two notable players changed positions in the last few months, both of them receivers — Smith, who began the season as one of the starters but played corner in the regular-season finale against Colorado, and sophomore Caleb Repp, who redshirted last season.

Repp's claim to fame is that he only ever caught touchdown passes — two against Oregon in 2015. And while he capped a strong spring with five catches in the Red-White game, he says he always had doubt that receiver would be his long-term home.

"I talked to [Kyle Whittingham] about it and I think he agreed," Repp said. "Just looking at the other guys with similar body types: Randy Gregory, Kylie Fitts ­— he's a little more stocky, but we have almost the same body type. I felt like if they could do it, I could do it, too."

So Repp sat out last season, playing defensive end for the developmental squad. He's at 225 pounds "and still gaining," constantly needing to eat. His favorite meal is breakfast burritos he can get downtown, but he's many burritos from being the size he still wants to hit.

That hasn't stopped him from flashing his potential. He once recorded a 35-inch vertical leap, so Repp could be the next Fitts in terms of getting his hands in passing lanes.

"Caleb can bat down balls. He's tall, he's lanky, and he can get up there," sophomore Bradlee Anae said. "But my man needs to put on some weight before he can be solid in games and stuff. Coach says when Caleb is tired, 'Caleb, you're not supposed to be tired, you only weigh 200 pounds.'"

Smith had to face a trial by fire at his new position when the Utes got riddled by injury at corner against Colorado, forcing Utah to play the converted receiver on defense. It wasn't an ideal debut. Shay Field shook him on a key drive for a touchdown.

The game helped carve out for Smith how much faster things seem to fly on defense. As a receiver, he could let it rip out of a route. As a corner, he's got to have a constant awareness of where his man is.

He recently had a conversation with Brian Allen, one of Utah's last receiver-to-corner converts who had a strong showing at the NFL Combine. The Utes hope that Smith can follow in the mold of Allen, Keith McGill, Sean Smith and Eric Rowe as a big, physical defender who can dominate receivers and move on to the NFL.

Allen's advice: Don't freelance.

"He told me to do what you do, be an athlete out there and pay attention to what you're taught," Smith said. "Really use your technique and don't do your own thing on the field."

Aside from the skillsets required at their new positions, both Repp and Smith said they've taken some time to adapt to the mindset they need to play defense.

They've had to be more aggressive, more willing to hit and be hit and adapt to a position group they didn't start with.

"I thought I was nasty on the edge, but that's because I was bigger than everybody," Repp said. "Now I'm not the big dude anymore. I just gotta be meaner."

Smith said the transition for him has come naturally. He felt embraced by Sharrieff Shah and his new position group. While receivers still will light him up with trash talk this spring, he believes they won't be lighting him up on the field as he continues to nail down his new role.

He says he couldn't be happier where he is.

"I love my unit now. We're all young, we all love each other. That's the biggest thing we have that I really didn't feel too much at receiver," Smith said. "We're more of a group, more of a family. We congratulate each other on good things, and if we do bad things, we tell each other it was bad. We're honest with each other."

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Tyrone Smith

• Junior first-string defensive back

• 6 foot 4, 205 pounds

• 28 career catches, 148 yards, 1 TD as receiver

• From Edison High in Fresno, Calif.

Caleb Repp

• Sophomore second-string defensive end

• 6 foot 5, 225 pounds

• Two career catches, 25 yards, 2 TDs as receiver

• From Los Osos High in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.