The UCLA Bruins football program adding Utah Utes redshirt senior safety Tao Johnson to the defensive backfield should strengthen one of the Bruins strongest position groups from last year.
Johnson played four years for the Utes, but he made the transition to defensive back in his sophomore season after playing special teams and wide receiver in five games as a true freshman, according to the Bruins. After switching to the defensive side of the ball as a redshirt freshman and playing 13 games as a nickelback, he completed his transition as a standout safety in his final two seasons with the the Utes.
The six-foot, 194-pound safety put together a stellar sophomore season for Utah by leading the secondary with 70-total tackles, while snagging four pass deflections, an interception and a forced fumble to cap off his 2024 campaign, according to ESPN.
The Idaho native ended his tenure in Utah with 51-total tackles, four pass deflections and two interceptions in 2025, according to ESPN.
Johnson’s 51-total tackles from last season would have put him as the fifth highest tackler on the Bruins last season and as the third highest defensive back.
The now-departed senior linebacker JonJon Vaughns led the defense with 107-total tackles with sophomore linebacker Isaiah Chisom right behind him with 84-total tackles. The defensive backs that would have been ahead of Johnson were senior Key Lawrence with 70 and sophomore Cole Martin with 65.
Johnson not only joins the Bruins as one of the leading tacklers, but he joins the Bruins as one of the highest ranked players on UCLA’s roster in EA Sports’ College Football 27 as he looks to support to propel a unit that held teams to the eighth-fewest passing yards in the Big Ten Conference in 2025.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Former Utah safety strengthens UCLA’s defensive back room
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire | USA TODAY Network
