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The Utah Utes had one of the top pass defenses in the Pac-12 last season, ranking No. 2 behind only the Stanford Cardinal allowing 246.6 yards passing per game in 2014. That production was already going to be difficult to replicate in 2015 but it got even more unlikely after defensive back Dominique Hatfield was arrested on suspicion of robbery on Tuesday.
According to police, Hatfield was identified by a man who said he had set up a meeting to buy an Xbox from the Utah cornerback. Instead of making an exchange for the Xbox, the victim says that Hatfield pulled a knife and took off with $180 in cash. As of Wednesday, he was still in custody on $500,000 bond and Utah coaches have yet to make an official statement.
This arrest could end up making a major impact on the Utes’ defense next fall. The team was already looking to replace four defensive backs from their 2014 squad after Eric Rowe, Brian Blechen, Davion Orphey, and Tevin Carter finished up their senior seasons. Hatfield became a major part of the pass defense last fall after converting from wide receiver, recording 38 tackles, an interception, and nine pass breakups in 10 starts.
Hatfield appeared to be headed towards a leadership role in the defense next season thanks to his experience and success from 2014. The team is thin at defensive back in terms of experience and were likely expecting to lean on Hatfield with an expanded role in 2015.
That plan is now up in the air as they wait and see what will come from Hatfield’s arrest. If these allegations prove to be true, Utah will likely cut ties with Hatfield and move on with an inexperienced secondary that could hurt their chances of finally breaking through in the Pac-12 this fall.
You can follow Tyler Brett on Twitter @ATylerBrett, on Facebook and on Google.
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