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The University of Utah Athletics
Players Mentioned
Q&A with Utah Football’s Nate Ritchie
4/14/2025 12:08 PM | Football
Cedar Hills native part of a strong safety room ahead of ’25 campaign
SALT LAKE CITY – One of the most veteran units on the roster for Utah Football in 2025 looks to be the safety group, which includes senior Rabbit Evans, as well as juniors Tao Johnson and Cedar Hills, Utah native Nate Ritchie.
Ritchie initially joined the Utes prior to the start of the 2020 season before spending two years serving a mission in New Hampshire. He returned in time for the 2023 campaign and has appeared in 23 games for the Utes over the last two seasons on both defense and special teams. In 2024, he was an academic All-Big 12 selection and racked up a career-best nine tackles in Utah's September win over Baylor.
UtahUtes.com recently talked with Ritchie about spring ball, lessons he tries to pass on to his teammates and what he learned during his two-year mission.
How would you assess how spring ball has gone so far?
It's been really good. It's been tough. Obviously, there are places we've been in improving in as a team. It's been a good time for us to be able to develop and continue to grow. Our coaches are putting us in positions to get better and to be able to compete, so its been a really great time.
The safeties are in the unique position of having their position coach also be the defensive coordinator. What's one specific thing you've learned from Coach Scalley?
Probably the biggest thing is he tells us all the time to have confidence and that he's not going to give us any false confidence. I really trust him. The other thing is film study. He always harps on film study. He has a little bit different mind than most position coaches, so its fun to pick out little nuggets that he throws out every once in a while to learn from.
You mentioned before last year there were a lot of things you learned from working with players like Sione Vaki and Cole Bishop. How have you tried to pass those lessons along to the newer players on the roster?
It just takes time, going out there and watching film with people. Whenever we're watching film, I'll always give my input just like when I was watching film with other people, they always give their input, giving tips and tricks on how to find things and how to remember them so you can produce out on the field.
Does being able to be open and honest and give constructive criticism that people know is coming from the right place help you guys grow closer as a team?
100%. I think, especially as a safety group, we all know that we want each other to get better, so we always hold each other accountable with things if we see something, we're always going to hold each other accountable and we're always going to be there to help each other out with tips and pointers as well.
You wore No. 6 as a freshman, then came back as No. 31, now you're back in No. 6. Is there some significance this number has that made you want to switch back to it?
I wouldn't necessarily say there's significance. I really like the number six. I feel like I've done some really good things in this number, so when the opportunity came, I thought I might as well come back to it.
You spent two years on a mission in New Hampshire. What's something you learned about yourself during that time?
That's a pretty deep question because there are a lot things that I learned, not only learning about my true purpose here as a human being and my true identity as a child of God. I'd say that's probably No. 1. And just how important other people are and to always reach out and to be kind because, at the end of the day, we're here on this earth and there are people around us and so there's point in snubbing other people and being rude to each other because that creates a lot conflict, but really being nice to other people and bringing them with you, that can bring a lot of collective anything if you really set your mind to anything.
Is the maple syrup in New England as good as everyone says?
It's wonderful, it's really, really good.
Ritchie initially joined the Utes prior to the start of the 2020 season before spending two years serving a mission in New Hampshire. He returned in time for the 2023 campaign and has appeared in 23 games for the Utes over the last two seasons on both defense and special teams. In 2024, he was an academic All-Big 12 selection and racked up a career-best nine tackles in Utah's September win over Baylor.
UtahUtes.com recently talked with Ritchie about spring ball, lessons he tries to pass on to his teammates and what he learned during his two-year mission.
How would you assess how spring ball has gone so far?
It's been really good. It's been tough. Obviously, there are places we've been in improving in as a team. It's been a good time for us to be able to develop and continue to grow. Our coaches are putting us in positions to get better and to be able to compete, so its been a really great time.
The safeties are in the unique position of having their position coach also be the defensive coordinator. What's one specific thing you've learned from Coach Scalley?
Probably the biggest thing is he tells us all the time to have confidence and that he's not going to give us any false confidence. I really trust him. The other thing is film study. He always harps on film study. He has a little bit different mind than most position coaches, so its fun to pick out little nuggets that he throws out every once in a while to learn from.
You mentioned before last year there were a lot of things you learned from working with players like Sione Vaki and Cole Bishop. How have you tried to pass those lessons along to the newer players on the roster?
It just takes time, going out there and watching film with people. Whenever we're watching film, I'll always give my input just like when I was watching film with other people, they always give their input, giving tips and tricks on how to find things and how to remember them so you can produce out on the field.
Does being able to be open and honest and give constructive criticism that people know is coming from the right place help you guys grow closer as a team?
100%. I think, especially as a safety group, we all know that we want each other to get better, so we always hold each other accountable with things if we see something, we're always going to hold each other accountable and we're always going to be there to help each other out with tips and pointers as well.
You wore No. 6 as a freshman, then came back as No. 31, now you're back in No. 6. Is there some significance this number has that made you want to switch back to it?
I wouldn't necessarily say there's significance. I really like the number six. I feel like I've done some really good things in this number, so when the opportunity came, I thought I might as well come back to it.
You spent two years on a mission in New Hampshire. What's something you learned about yourself during that time?
That's a pretty deep question because there are a lot things that I learned, not only learning about my true purpose here as a human being and my true identity as a child of God. I'd say that's probably No. 1. And just how important other people are and to always reach out and to be kind because, at the end of the day, we're here on this earth and there are people around us and so there's point in snubbing other people and being rude to each other because that creates a lot conflict, but really being nice to other people and bringing them with you, that can bring a lot of collective anything if you really set your mind to anything.
Is the maple syrup in New England as good as everyone says?
It's wonderful, it's really, really good.
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