Could Lander Barton, Smith Snowden follow in Sione Vaki’s path this season?

In 2023, Utah’s offense was in need of a spark.

The Utes turned to a defensive player to provide it.

Safety Sione Vaki had been a two-way star in high school, in Brentwood, California, finishing his senior year with 1,394 receiving yards (averaging nearly 100 yards per game) and 20 receiving touchdowns while totaling 97 tackles, four interceptions (one pick-six), two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries on defense.

Ute coaches were obviously aware of Vaki’s two-way prowess in high school, but used him on the defensive side of the ball, where he enjoyed success. But with quarterback Cam Rising hurt and backup Bryson Barnes playing for most of the season — plus injuries to several of the team’s key offensive players — the Utes wanted an explosive option.

They turned to Vaki for help on the offensive side.

They found instant success, as the two-way star racked up 158 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, including a 72-yard touchdown run, in a 34-14 win over Cal.

He was also wide open on a wheel route, but Barnes and Vaki couldn’t connect and the pass fell short.

The next week against USC, the Barnes-Vaki connection worked to perfection. Vaki was open on his wheel route — flipped to the other side of the field this time — and took it 53 yards to open scoring at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Vaki played both running back (nine carries for 68 yards) and receiver (game-high 149 yards and two touchdowns on five catches), plus played well at safety, as Utah upset USC 34-32.

Vaki’s two-way play drew attention from NFL teams, and he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He was officially drafted as a running back and has been versatile in special teams for Detroit.

There have been numerous offensive players that have made the switch to defense under Kyle Whittingham, but the opposite hasn’t happened much.

In 2025, Whittingham hinted that Ute fans may see some more two-way players in cornerback Smith Snowden and linebacker Lander Barton.

While Barton has made his name as a linebacker in Morgan Scalley’s system, he once was a star tight end at Brighton, catching 37 passes for 416 yards and seven touchdowns his senior season. At 6-foot-5, 236 pounds, he’s got tight end size, and could help bolster a tight end group that enters the season unproven.

“Lander Barton was essentially uncoverable in high school. Now I know he’s playing against high school guys, but he’s a tremendous receiver,” Whittingham said. “Many teams were recruiting him as a tight end and thinking that was his, including his dad thinks, that’s his best position, by the way. But you’re going to see him play some tight end.”

Snowden, who assisted on kickoff return duties (seven returns for 187 yards) last season along with starring at nickel back, will see time at receiver. His speed on kickoff returns is apparent, and could translate nicely to Utah’s offense.

“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.

This all fits into new offensive coordinator Jason Beck’s philosophy of fitting the offensive scheme to the available talent.

“The offense is just kind of based around playing to your personnel, to your players,” Beck said back in January. “So it’s all about identifying the best players and putting them in positions to have success and to play well.”

Utah’s already put that into practice with Nate Johnson, who played quarterback at Utah in 2023. After a year at Vanderbilt, Johnson is back, and will be utilized in a number of ways, whether that’s running the ball or catching it.

Now, Barton and Snowden could join the fun.

“If we got a guy that can help us that’s already established in a certain spot, then you look at him playing both ways and that’s what we’ve got in Smith and Lander,” Whittingham said.

The idea for Barton to play both ways was a mutual decision.

“I think it’s a mixture. I mean, I don’t want to say no if they want me to do something, I’m willing to do it,” Barton said. “Then also the coaches have to be on the same page and they have to be willing to do it as well. So it was kind of a mixture on both sides.”

How much each will play on the offensive side of the ball remains to be seen — both are key pieces for Utah’s defense — but Barton and Snowden could provide a productive twist for Utah’s offense in 2025.