The trend of two-way players is slowly gaining more traction. But the problem with a two-way player is, more often than not, they end up exhausting themselves and fail to add production on either side. But with Coach Kyle Whittingham and defensive back Smith Snowden, it worked out perfectly at Utah. Now in a different environment, there are early indications that there could be a repeat of the switch Whittingham made with Snowden at Salt Lake City.

“Yeah, so like you said, I played a little bit of offense last year, had a blast. But I’m a defensive player,” Snowden said during his spring media availability about his role. “Coach Whit had presented me with the opportunity last year. He thought I could help the team out, and I was like, okay, if that’s the case, yeah, I’ll play some offense. But yeah, when it comes to me playing nickel or corner, I think the coaches are going to plug us all in at the right place to make plays. So I’m not positive where I’m going to be at yet, but we’re going to see come a couple weeks, couple months.”

By his third year at Utah in 2025, Snowden had become one of the more interesting players in the Big 12. It was not just because of his talent, but because of how Whittingham chose to use it. Most coaches would have kept a cornerback on the defensive side of the ball and left it at that. Whittingham saw something more.

On offense, Snowden appeared in two games, ran the ball eight times for 40 yards and a touchdown, and caught 13 passes for 57 yards. None of that came at the cost of his defensive responsibilities. He still led the cornerbacks with 37 tackles, added two interceptions, nine pass breakups, and earned a PFF grade of 68.4 for the season. He also returned seven kicks for 187 yards. At the end of it all, he walked away with second-team All-Big 12 honors.

Whittingham had clocked Snowden’s explosive kickoff return ability and decided that kind of speed and instinct shouldn’t be wasted on just one phase of the game.

“See Smith Snowden playing some wide receiver, slot receiver, getting the ball in his hands. You can see how dangerous he is with his kickoff returns,” Whittingham said during Utah’s training camp.

The result was a two-way player who, rather than being spread thin, seemed energized by the challenge. Playing multiple positions is actually part of Snowden’s DNA. Growing up in Lehi, Utah, he played both wide receiver and defensive back at Skyridge High School. He won the 2022 Deseret News Mr. Football award. The versatility was there long before Whittingham discovered it. What Whittingham did was recognize that Snowden had the football IQ and athleticism to handle it at the college level without losing focus on what he primarily is, a defensive back.

That trust, built over three seasons, goes both ways. Snowden has been candid about how it all unfolded.

“I think it came down to Coach Whitt, really,” he said. “He saw some of my attributes I had on kick return last year, and he presented me with the idea, and—at the end of the day—if it’s best for the team, I’m going to do it. Honestly, going into the season, it was kind of unknown. You have no idea. I’m taking reps at practice, doing good. And then game day comes, and you’ve just got to be ready and see what happens. And then during my first game, I got about 25 plays on offense. That’s a lot of plays. I just have to be ready.”

His willingness to embrace the unknown rather than fight it says a lot about the kind of player and person he is.

Why Snowden followed Whittingham to Michigan

Snowden has decided to keep his life in the hands of Whittingham, which implies how satisfied he is with his versatile positioning. Whittingham spent over two decades with the Utah Utes, and his success and longevity are enough reasons for Snowden to trust him to help develop his talent well.

“I committed to Coach Whittingham from the University of Utah. I’ve seen what he’s put in the NFL and seen what he continues to do,” Snowden said. “I know that he has a winning culture, and I think the sky’s really the limit for Coach Whitt at Michigan. I think that he has the opportunity to get the best guys in the country, and he’s going to really make things shake.”

Snowden was wooed by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Oregon Ducks and even paid visits to both campuses. However, he was keen on joining Whittingham at Salt Lake City. He was accompanied by two other defensive players who joined Michigan from Utah. Edge rusher John Henry Daley and defensive tackle Jonah Lea’ea,

Snowden understands the kind of coach Whittingham is, and blending into his system would not be a big deal for him. Regardless of what many may make of Whittingham’s use of Snowden, the player is satisfied with him. 

“Yeah, honestly, I think it’s just work hard,” Snowden said. “Coach Whitt’s a simple man. If you work hard, you know, do what you’ve got to do, take care of business, you’re going to be on the right track.”