Armon Bean set to make college football return at the University of Utah
Former Snow College defensive back Armon Bean will resume his college football playing career in 2025, as Bean is set to play at the University of Utah this fall, per sources.
Bean is a 6'2, 200-pound defensive back who plays with immense versatility and will be a chess piece for the Utes this upcoming season.
Bean began his collegiate career as a walk-on at Mississippi State University in 2019 and was a member of a cornerback room filled with NFL talent, including Cleveland Browns starter Martin Emerson Jr., Los Angeles Rams defender and former Washington Commanders first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes, and Las Vegas Raiders 2024 fourth-round pick Decameron Richardson.
After a serious personal situation, Bean left Mississippi State in 2021 and attended Snow Community College in Ephraim, Utah. Bean spent a year with the Badgers and earned an Associate degree before enrolling at Pitt State, where he played two seasons with the Gorillas (2022 and 2023).
After returning to his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, following his 2023 campaign, Bean decided to step away from football to help his father finish his chemotherapy treatments, which resulted in him potentially giving up the sport he loved for good. However, Anthony Bean, Armon’s father, finished his final treatments on September 24th, 2024, after a nearly two-year battle with cancer, which began on December 2nd, 2022.
When asked about why he decided to return to football, Armon Bean said he wanted to carry on the legacy of his late brothers, Anthony Bean Jr. and Armani Bean. Bean Jr. passed away on January 13th, 2025, from a heart attack in Memphis. Armon will also be honoring the legacy of his late former Snow College teammate Mafatini Taimane-Laititi Mafatini.
After taking a year off, Bean is eager to get back on the field and make a difference for the Utes. Utah finished their first season as a member of the Big 12 conference with a 5-7 record and will need to replace cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn, who played over 700 snaps last season and served as the team's CB1.
Bean will be coached by Sharrieff Shah, one of the nation's most respected cornerback coaches, who has been on the Utes coaching staff since 2012 and has produced multiple NFL cornerbacks. Shah’s NFL talent includes Chicago Bears 2023 second-team All-Pro selection Jaylon Johnson, Atlanta Falcons 2023 fourth-round pick Clark Phillips III, New England Patriots 2024 rookie Miles Battle, and many more.
Bean told me that the influence of Vaughn, his relationship with Coach Shah, and time spent at Snow College all played significant roles in his decision to choose the Utes over other Big 12 squads.
After a year-long absence away from football, Armon Bean will return to the field in 2025 and look to make a difference for Utah. Did Salt Lake City just get an “Ace” in their back pocket from the transfer portal????