The three-star prospect, who is the brother of New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and the son of former Utah Ute Brandon Dart, announced his commitment to Utah Thursday evening on social media.

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The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Diesel Dart also has scholarship offers from Michigan, Ole Miss, Auburn, Arizona and BYU, but chose Utah after a visit to Salt Lake City last weekend.

He was named to the Deseret News 6A second team after a 2025 season that saw him rack up 49 tackles and two interceptions, according to the Deseret News high school stats database.

He also caught seven passes for 131 yards and a score on offense as a key part of Corner Canyon’s 6A three-peat, but is expected to focus on defense at Utah.

Dart is rated a three-star (87) prospect by Rivals, which has slotted him as the No. 13 overall player in the state of Utah in the Class of 2027 and the No. 101 safety nationwide.

The addition of Dart gives the Utes their second in-state commit of the 2027 cycle, with Dart joining Skyline running back Jonah Mailei as Beehive State representatives.

With less than two months until fall camps open across the nation, college football preview season is in full swing.

The latest preview magazine to hit the presses is Phil Steele’s long-running publication.

Last year, Steele ranked the Utes tied for No. 1 in the Big 12 coming off of a 5-7 season. He wasn’t too far off base, as Utah finished third in the conference and completed a turnaround with an 11-2 overall record and a 7-2 mark in the Big 12, but he had Big 12 runner-up BYU No. 7 in his preseason conference rankings and Big 12 winner Texas Tech tied for No. 4.

College football is a tough sport to predict.

This year, Steele has the Red Raiders going back-to-back, even without quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who ended a saga full of drama and plenty of billable hours by declaring for the NFL supplementary draft on Monday.

The Red Raiders, who are now expected to be led by quarterback Will Hammond (coming off of an ACL tear last year), are still the favorites to win the conference, per Steele. The Red Raiders posted one of the nation’s best transfer portal classes and are loaded with talent.

Eight Red Raider players appear on Steele’s All-Big 12 preseason first team.

“If it is Hammond at QB this is still the best team in the Big 12,” Steele wrote.

The Beehive State schools trail behind Texas Tech, with BYU checking in at No. 2 and Utah at No. 3.

The Utes are in a fascinating place heading into the season. Utah no longer has longtime coach Kyle Whittingham, who “stepped down” and then ended up at Michigan along with six of the Utes’ assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Jason Beck.

After years of waiting, Morgan Scalley is now in charge of the program, and while there’s not a ton of starters returning, he still has a talented team.

Quarterbacks Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin return — Steele rates the Utes’ quarterback room as the best in the Big 12 — alongside running back Wayshawn Pakrer.

The Utes hit the transfer portal for some key wide receivers, including Utah State’s Braden Pegan and San Jose State’s Kyri Shoels, but the big question is how the rebuilt offensive line will perform after losing all five starters to the NFL and graduation.

Five-star freshman Kelvin Obot (guard) and Montana State transfer Cedric Jefferson (tackle) are newcomers, but Alex Harrison, Keith Olson and Zereoue Williams have all been in the program for a while. Utah feels like it has the talent on the line, but can they put it all together?

On the defensive side, the line will feature all new full-time starters, but familiar faces in defensive ends Kash Dillon and Lance Holtzclaw and defensive tackle Karson Kafusi. Like the offensive line, they’ll be the key to the defense this season.

Utah’s linebacker unit should be solid with the return of Johnathan Hall and Trey Reynolds stepping up in a starting position, and safety could be the strength of the team with Rabbit Evans and Jackson Bennee.

Cornerback will be interesting, as the Utes lost starting nickel Smith Snowden to Michigan and starting outside corner Blake Cotton to graduation, but bring back starter Elijah Davis and move Rock Caldwell from safety to nickel.

One of the key camp battles will be for the other outside cornerback spot, which could come down to Akron transfer Elijah Reed and USF transfer James Chenault.

Overall, Steele feels like the Utes’ schedule is manageable — the Utes miss Texas Tech, Kansas State and Arizona State and play BYU and Houston at home. The line of scrimmage, he says, will determine whether or not they are a playoff contender.

Which Utes made Phil Steele’s preseason All Big 12 team?

Mana Carvalho, PR — 1st team

Devon Dampier, QB — 2nd team

Wayshawn Parker, RB — 2nd team

Braden Pegan, WR — 2nd team

Keith Olsen, OG — 3rd team

Johnathan Hall, LB — 3rd team

Jackson Bennee, S — 3rd team

Lance Holtzclaw, DE — 4th team

Elijah Davis, CB — 4th team

In case you missed it

The University of Utah athletic department’s deal with private equity firm Otro Capital was officially finalized Friday. Here’s why Utah officials felt it was needed.

From the archives

Utah receives commitment from 2027 QB Jonah Lubno

Meet the state of Utah’s top prep football recruit from the class of 2027, Davis High’s Bode Sparrow

‘Incredible at explaining the why’: What Steve Saunders brings to Morgan Scalley’s staff

Extra points

• Utah basketball’s Big 12 schedule matrix is set for next season. Here’s who they’ll play
• Utah football gets commitment from Texas safety Darrod ‘Bug’ Jacobs
• Big 12 RB rankings: Will anyone catch LJ Martin?

After one address to a Young Men’s group, the attendees gathered around Scalley for a photo, with the majority of the group flashing the “U” hand sign.

One BYU fan flashed the “Y” sign for the group photo and received some good-natured ribbing from the Utah fans. Scalley used the moment to make the fan’s day.

“I just said, ‘Dude, you got to support your team. You got to be loyal to your team.’ Obviously I have a great relationship with Kalani and wanted him not to feel outed or not a part of the group,” Scalley said. “So I do that more often than people would think. So I think Kalani knows anytime he’s getting a FaceTime from me, I’m with a BYU fan.”

There’s few who bleed red more than Scalley. He’s a lifelong Ute that went to games at Rice-Eccles Stadium as a kid before starring at safety for Utah’s BCS-busting undefeated 2004 team — a dream season that was punctuated with a 35-7 win over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.

After ending his playing career on the highest note in program history to that point, he jumped right into coaching, and there was no place he would rather coach at than Utah.

“This is a profession that allows you to be a light to others, allows you to teach and guide and be an influence on young men, particularly at an age where they’re asking themselves a lot of questions,” Scalley said.

Coaching came naturally to Scalley, who was heralded as a leader and was named a captain on the 2004 team, and he quickly moved up the ranks from graduate assistant to safeties coach.

‘A Utah guy’: Why Utah feels Morgan Scalley is the right man to continue what Kyle Whittingham has built

Scalley learned to love football from his dad

Scalley took over the safeties room as Derrick Odum left ahead of the 2008 season (Odum is back as Utah’s safeties coach under Scalley this season in a full-circle moment). Four years after he helped lead the Utes to a perfect season as a player, he was on staff as the Utes completed a 13-0 campaign, capped off by a 31-17 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Aside from consistently producing quality safety units, Scalley impressed as a recruiter, and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham knew his former player would one day make a good defensive coordinator.

“I’m grateful to my Savior, Jesus Christ — not ashamed to say that — whose sacrifice for me has led me in this direction. Didn’t know that I really wanted to get into coaching and so I’ve led my life based on the belief that he will lead me. He will guide me. And based on the Spirit, it has brought me to this place where I can give and serve and love.”

Morgan Scalley at his introductory press conference

After John Pease retired in 2016, Scalley was promoted to defensive coordinator, starting a run of consistent success for Utah’s defense.

In the 10 years since Scalley took over the defense, the Utes have been ranked in the Top 25 nationally in fewest points allowed per game five times, including 2025. Defense was always Whittingham’s hallmark as a coach, and Scalley made sure that Utah’s defense remained tough, physical, and — for the most part — dominant, year in and year out.

With Scalley as its defensive coordinator, Utah made four Pac-12 championship games and won two of them — a high-water mark for the program. He sent 33 defensive players to the NFL and became so highly respected in the college football community that he received interest from Texas, Oregon, Florida and USC to coach their defenses, per a 2024 report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Through it all, he remained loyal to Utah. For its part, Whittingham and the Utes named him the head-coach-in-waiting to keep him around, but Scalley always wanted to see it through at Utah and one day take the reins of the program.

“I’m one of you. All of you that are sitting in here that went through the same thing, I’m a fan. I’m a Ute. Have been, forever will be,” Scalley said.

In December 2025, when Whittingham “stepped down” as Utah’s head coach after a 21-year run that saw him lead the Utes to new heights as a program, athletic director Mark Harlan wasted little time putting Utah’s plan in place, hiring Scalley as the school’s head coach the next day.

‘It’s hard not to be excited’: Ute fan enthusiasm builds for the Morgan Scalley era

What followed was a whirlwind, as Whittingham was hired to be Michigan’s new head coach on the day after Christmas following Sherrone Moore’s firing. Suddenly, Scalley was thrust into the head coaching role early and was charged with keeping the team focused amid the coaching change as they prepared for the Las Vegas Bowl.

The team responded, defeating Nebraska 44-22 on New Year’s Eve for Utah’s first bowl victory since 2017.

In the midst of it all, Scalley had to hire six new coaches after some of the previous staff, including offensive coordinator Jason Beck, went to Michigan and had to play defense in the transfer portal.

Sharing his faith with others

A week after his first victory as Utah’s head coach, amid all of the offseason craziness, Scalley took the podium in the south end zone club at Rice-Eccles Stadium in front of a packed room of family members, players, Utah fans and donors, and the media for his introductory press conference.

There was a lot to talk about, but within the first minute of his off-the-cuff remarks, Scalley took time to talk about his faith.

“I’m grateful to my Savior, Jesus Christ — not ashamed to say that — whose sacrifice for me has led me in this direction. Didn’t know that I really wanted to get into coaching and so I’ve led my life based on the belief that he will lead me. He will guide me. And based on the Spirit, it has brought me to this place where I can give and serve and love. So I’m grateful for this opportunity,” Scalley said.

Since taking over as Utah’s head coach, and even before, Scalley has not been shy about sharing his faith in Jesus Christ and his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He wants to share the joy that the gospel and his faith in Jesus Christ have brought him with others, and is in a position to do so as the head coach of a Power Four college football team.

“Why is it important to share my faith with others? Because my faith is important to me and it’s something that brings me joy,” Scalley said. “I think with anything, if you enjoy something, it’s like my daughter with a song. She wants me to like her songs. Whether it’s a movie and she wants to see all my reactions when I’m sitting in a movie, it’s no different with faith. Anything that brings me happiness, brings me joy, that I think can bring other people joy, I want to be able to share it.”

Morgan Scalley wears his heart on his sleeve in passionate introductory press conference

‘I really do believe in God’: Utah head coach Morgan Scalley talks faith in his introductory press conference

Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has impacted just about every aspect of Scalley’s life.

“It affects everything from what I eat and drink to the shows I watch, the music I listen to, who I chose to be my partner in marriage and how I treat other people. It does. It affects every aspect of my life,” Scalley said.

‘An extremely important decision’ to serve a mission

One of the biggest decisions in Scalley’s young life was his choice to serve a two-year church mission. Young Latter-day Saint men and women are encouraged to serve 18- to 24-month missions, where they spread the gospel all over the world.

“Serving a mission was an extremely important decision. My brother had served, my sister had served, but that didn’t mean I was going to serve. I really gained a testimony of Jesus Christ fairly early in my life and felt like I needed to serve.”

Utah coach Morgan Scalley

After becoming the first-ever recipient of the Deseret News’ high school Mr. Football award, Scalley, one of the top recruits in the state of Utah, committed to play for Ron McBride and the Utes after graduating from Highland High in 1998.

Despite the allure of playing for his dream school right away, Scalley put his life on pause for two years to serve a church mission in Munich, Germany.

“Serving a mission was an extremely important decision. My brother had served, my sister had served, but that didn’t mean I was going to serve,” Scalley said. “I really gained a testimony of Jesus Christ fairly early in my life and felt like I needed to serve.”

Through his mission in Munich, Scalley made an impact on people there, but those that he served also made an impact on him. Scalley took his family to visit Munich last summer.

As fate would have it, the two-year gap also paid dividends on the football field, as Scalley’s senior year was 2004, when he was a key part of Utah’s 12-0, BCS-busting season.

How faith ties into Utah’s program

Due to its location in the state that has the largest percentage of Latter-day Saint members in the nation, there has always been more Latter-day Saint representation on Utah’s team than just about any other football team in the country, aside from Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-sponsored BYU.

That gives Scalley an instant connection with Latter-day Saint players and recruits, and some of those players feel like they can grow spiritually at Utah, including four-star wide receiver recruit Blake Wong, who has Utah and BYU in his final list.

Wong told Steve Bartle of KSL Sports that Utah was a place where the “gospel is very important.”

“I had visits around the school and there’s programs at the school that can help you talk to others and build your relationship in Christ. Not only that, Scalley and the coaches that are LDS, who even aren’t LDS, are very good representatives of Christ and they all act a way and they all carry themselves in really good ways,” Wong told the Deseret News.

“Obviously, they’ll have their studies as groups and stuff like that, but I feel like the most important thing is the way that they act and the way they carry themselves and they all carry themselves in good ways and Christ-centered lives.”

For Latter-day Saint members, and those curious about the faith, there are Institute classes available at the University of Utah, which help young adults “strengthen their testimony of Jesus Christ, increase their scripture study skills, learn from others and through the Spirit, and be better prepared for their futures,” according to the church’s website.

Utah’s football program also has an optional, nondenominational Bible study twice a week.

Football locker rooms are some of the most diverse places America has to offer, and that extends to faith.

There are plenty of Christians on Utah’s team, but there are people of all faiths — and no faith — on the team.

Each new Utah player — and there are always a lot of them in the transfer portal era — gives a short presentation about themselves to help introduce them to the team. The first slide is about their family, and the second is about what makes them them.

“Invariably, you’ll see a picture of Christ or a picture of any faith-based organization, whether it be a sign, a symbol, whatever helps us know about their faith and that that’s important to them,” Scalley said. “We have so many young men on this team with such strong faith regardless of what denomination.”

Making sure those with faith feel supported and able to grow in their faith while playing football at Utah is an important part of how Scalley runs his program.

“I think it’s very important for parents in the recruiting process to know that your sons are going to be developed spiritually here. They’re going to be supported in whatever faith they have, even if they don’t believe in God. We want to be empathetic and supportive of everyone’s faith and allow them to practice how they feel,” Scalley said.

That melting pot of various faiths was a key part of Scalley’s experience as a player two decades ago, allowing him to not only feel supported in his own religion, but to learn from those of other faiths.

That experience is still ongoing for Scalley as he learns from not just the players in Utah’s program, but staff members as well.

“My best friend here at the University of Utah is Sharrieff Shah, who is a devout Muslim, and I’ve learned so much from him about his faith, about his devotion,” Scalley said. “Life’s not lived in a bubble where everyone thinks the same way, has the same thoughts. And my experience here at the U. allowed me really to see different perspectives, learn about how people were raised differently within their faith.”

‘I’m just trying to be a disciple’

As a prominent Latter-day Saint member, Scalley is often asked to give talks at Latter-day Saint fireside events, which are evenings outside of normal church service where members can gather to hear inspiring messages.

While some attendees are no doubt interested because of Scalley’s position as a Utah football coach, when Scalley walks into the church, he’s no longer “coach Scalley” but “Brother Scalley.”

“This is just a normal guy talking about how I struggle, how I hurt, how I gain strength through faith,” Scalley said. “I think every one of us struggles with something, or if we don’t, our family is struggling with something. Faith brings us together to help heal and bind and strengthen each other because we’re all in need of redemption.”

While Scalley is open about his faith and will answer any and all questions about what, and why, he believes what he does, he isn’t trying to convert the players on the team.

Simply put, he tries to live his life as an example of the joy that his faith brings him.

“My main deal is that my life, I think Gandhi said, ‘My life is a message.’ That’s how I try and lead my life. That if anyone has a question as to why I believe the way I do, why am I so happy — not that I’m happy all the time — but what brings me joy, I’m able to answer them and help them understand my why.”

“And a lot of the big part of my why is my faith in Jesus Christ.”

Scalley is not a perfect person — no one is — but he tries to be a disciple of Jesus Christ each and every day.

“I do not claim to be the man, the disciple,” he says. “I’m just trying to be a disciple. I’m just trying to live my life so that when people meet me, they know how important my faith is to me.”

For the first time since 2006, there’s a new strength and conditioning staff in charge of University of Utah football.

Longtime football strength and conditioning coach Doug Elisaia, who was a mainstay at the university, decided to join Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan staff.

That gave new head coach Morgan Scalley something of a blank slate in the weight room.

Utah initially promoted Greg Argust, who had been with the Utes for over 20 years, to the head strength coach position. Argust led the team through winter workouts and spring football with good results.

“Cut down on the soft-tissue injuries. And really it was, I think, maybe a hamstring or two, a concussion, and then maybe a sprained knee,” Scalley said near the end of spring camp. “But other than that, with as much live work as you’re doing, stuff happens, but very pleased with how we came out of this spring ball.”

Shortly after spring camp, on April 27, Argust resigned, with Scalley promoting former Baltimore Ravens strength coach Steve Saunders that same day.

Saunders joined Baltimore in 2016 and was quickly promoted to “director of performance” in 2017.

A ringing endorsement

After the 2016 season, former Utah safety and NFL veteran Eric Weddle credited Saunders for his role in what he said was the healthiest he’s ever finished a season.

“A lot of credit for the way I played and how my body held up goes to Steve — the time and energy he spent with me, and the program he gave me for my specific body type,” Weddle said at the time. “He’s going to make our team 10 times better than it’s ever been.”

In 2018, Saunders was named the Ravens’ head strength and conditioning coach, coinciding with a run of team success that featured 10-plus win seasons in four of the next five campaigns.

In 2021, however, a rash of injuries to key players saw the Ravens miss the playoffs with an 8-9 record.

The NFL Players Association released its first-ever player report cards in early 2023 and Baltimore’s strength staff received the lowest marks in the league. Players gave the Ravens strength and conditions staff an “F-” grade for the 2022 season.

“30 of the 32 teams in the NFL gave their strength coaches fairly positive reviews. Baltimore was one of the two teams that fell well below the rest, and they were even significantly below the second-worst team,” the report card read.

“Players do not feel like the strength staff helps them be more successful. The team recently parted ways with head strength coach Steve Saunders, so we will be interested to see if this area improves in his absence.”

The Ravens and Saunders parted ways in early 2023, before the report card was released. In the next NFLPA report card, released after the 2023 season, Baltimore’s strength coaches improved to a “B.”

Harbaugh praise for Saunders

“He is one of the finest strength and conditioning coaches in the business,” former Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in a statement announcing the move. “His methods, passion and commitment are well proven throughout his career. Steve helped our players be the strongest and best conditioned athletes they could be. He is an outstanding coach, father, husband and friend. We wish him and his family all the very best going forward with their pursuits.”

Weddle, who was part of the defensive backfield with Scalley at Utah, has been a fierce proponent of Saunders. After Saunders was promoted to the head strength role, Weddle took to X to defend his former strength coach.

“If I ever became a (head coach), he would be my very first hire. That is how much I believe in him and the impact he will have on all the boys,” Weddle shared on April 27.

If I ever became a HC, he would be my very first hire. That is how much I believe in him and the impact he will have on all the boys

— Eric Weddle (@weddlesbeard) April 28, 2026

“I was the strongest and most explosive ever my (years) in Bmore. It was all Steve. He is a mastermind in strength and conditioning. Why have all his assistants from bmore now head guys doing his workouts. Lol. Its actually comical,” Weddle said in another post.

I was the strongest and most explosive ever my yrs in Bmore. It was all Steve.. He is a mastermind in strength and conditioning. Why have all his assistants from bmore now head guys doing his workouts. Lol. Its actually comical.

— Eric Weddle (@weddlesbeard) April 28, 2026

Weddle shared that he suggested that Scalley interview Saunders for Utah’s strength staff, also saying that he was the “scapegoat” for “COVID nonsense” in Baltimore.

Saunders, according to the Baltimore Sun, was suspended for a month in 2020 for “his conduct relating to a widespread COVID-19 outbreak in Baltimore.” Saunders, per the Baltimore Sun, “had not routinely worn a proximity tracker or mask, as required by NFL rules, and had not reported potential COVID-19 symptoms as he worked with players.”

He was the scape goat for the covid nonsense that happened in Baltimore. Got blamed for things that weren't even his fault. You will see, I wouldn't have suggested Morgan to interview him if I didnt believe he was the best and would help our program that needed it

— Eric Weddle (@weddlesbeard) April 27, 2026

Saunders, for his part, apologized to the Ravens’ team after the COVID-19 incident.

“He felt like he really just needed to make sure everybody knew that he just wanted to do better and just didn’t want to put anybody in that position, and (he) learned a lot from it and all those different things,” Harbaugh said, per the Baltimore Sun. “And I really appreciated him for doing that. He went right back to work, and the guys went right back to work with him. They know he’s great at what he does.”

Saunders was hired by Scalley to be part of Argust’s staff in February, and was a key part of the Utes getting through spring ball mostly injury-free, even with more live action than in past springs.

“I’m also a firm believer in ‘by their fruits, ye shall know them,’ and I take a look at what he did with our group this past spring,” Scalley told the Deseret News in a recent interview. “He’s been with our players. Our players love him. He’s made them stronger. He’s made them faster. He worked with the offensive and defensive line and you had guys make unbelievable gains and their change in body.”

Now the former NFL strength coach is the main man in charge of making sure Utah’s players are the strongest and healthiest they can be.

“I’m extremely excited about Steve Saunders and he brings a wealth of knowledge, having worked with some of the best athletes in the world,” Scalley said.

“Steve is a guy that has, much like every single one of us, has a history, has a history of good, has a history of what people would perceive, not knowing the situation, as maybe not so good. I’m a believer in finding out for myself because when I have close friends, confidants, when I have people that come to me and say, ‘You really need to talk to this guy,’ I respect that.”

A passion for what he does

Scalley said his relationship with Saunders started about a year ago.

“Just asking him, why do you do what you do? He has a love and a passion for what he does. Much like I have an energy, he has an energy,” Scalley said.

The key to Saunders’ approach is that everything in the weight room is geared toward making them the best football players, not necessarily the strongest weightlifters.

“He is incredible at explaining the why. Why do we do what we do in helping these young men become the best football players they can become, because that’s what you need in the weight room,” Scalley said. “We’re not becoming the best weightlifters we can become. We need to develop into the best football players. He has an answer to the why in everything.”

In recent years under Kyle Whittingham, the Utes have been bit by the injury bug, including high-profile players like quarterback Cam Rising.

Football is a violent game with lots of injuries, and what effect strength staffs have on preventing injuries is hard to quantify. Still, it could be good for the program to have a fresh start under the new strength and conditioning staff.

“I am so fired up for Steve and his tenure here and cannot wait for what this summer is about to show,” Scalley said.

In case you missed it

Utah has been with apparel partner Under Armour since the 2008 season, but they’ll have a new logo on their uniforms starting with the 2027 football season.

The partnership between Utah and Under Armour will end after the current deal expires following the 2026-27 athletic season.

From the archives

Highly sought-after receiver Blake Wong discusses faith experience during Utah recruiting visit

Utah lands third commitment of the day in wide receiver Dillon Sykes

How some Big 12 officials, including Utah AD Mark Harlan, reacted to the Brendan Sorsby ruling

Extra points

• This QB sparked Utah against BYU, then transferred. Now he’s back with the Utes
• Big 12 ADs are reportedly unhappy about the Brendan Sorsby ruling
• Who is really looking out for Brendan Sorsby in the Texas Tech gambling, eligibility saga?

The Utes added yet another commitment on Monday afternoon, securing a pledge from three-star defensive back Taylan Patterson to continue their recruiting momentum.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Patterson had offers from San Diego State and Northern Arizona. Patterson is rated an 83 by Rivals.

Patterson took his official visit to Salt Lake City last weekend and was impressed enough by the program and the coaching staff to commit shortly after.

“Everyone on the staff treated me like family,” Patterson told On3’s Brandon Huffman “The culture of Utah is unmatched and they’re just good people.”

Patterson is now the 11th commit in Morgan Scalley’s inaugural class at Utah, and the fifth on the defensive side of the ball, joining safety Darrod Jacobs, safety Aiden Martin, defensive lineman Tiki Teeples and edge rusher Jack Henderson.

The Utes will wrap up a busy official visit season next week, hoping to continue adding to their 2027 class.

Three-star signal caller Jonah Lubno committed to Utah on Sunday afternoon, giving the Utes a key piece in Morgan Scalley’s inaugural recruiting class.

Found Home!!!🏠🏠1000% Committed🔴⚪️@Utah_Football

Very excited for the next chapter in my life. I want to personally thank every Coach, teammate, parent, friend who has led me to this point in my journey. Truly thankful for all the colleges who believed in me. So blessed,… pic.twitter.com/ujTNmZYRF4

— Jonah Lubno (@LubnoJonah) June 14, 2026

The Gilbert, Arizona, signal-caller threw for 1,591 yards and 18 touchdowns with nine interceptions on a 65.3% completion rate in his junior season at Campo Verde High. He also rushed for 415 yards and 17 scores.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Lubno is rated a three-star (81) by Rivals. He had offers from Fresno State and Navy, among other schools.

It’s likely that Lubno will have to wait his turn before seeing the field for Utah. Byrd Ficklin is set to take over at quarterback next season as a junior, and the Utes also have two other quarterbacks in the program — freshmen Kane Archer and Michael Johnson.

Lubno is the 10th commit in Utah’s 2027 class and the sixth on the offensive side. The Utes have now landed seven commitments in the month of June, boosting their Rivals ranking to No. 12 in the 16-team Big 12 Conference.

The partnership is the first of its kind in collegiate athletics, but it could be a model that other schools follow as financial pressure continues to mount in athletic departments across the country.

“This new company puts the University of Utah at the forefront of developing creative and strategic solutions to the financial challenges facing college athletics programs across the country,” said University of Utah president Taylor Randall in a statement. “Utah will continue to lead out with unique and entrepreneurial ideas for keeping our Utes sports programs financially sustainable and foundational to the student experience.”

University of Utah finalizes private equity deal with Otro Capital to fund athletic efforts

In June 2025, the House v. NCAA settlement cleared the way for universities to share up to $20.5 million with student-athletes, putting a huge new line item on already razor-thin athletics budgets nationwide.

For the University of Utah, the numbers in the new age of college sports weren’t adding up.

By keeping on the current course, Utah would have drained its athletics financial reserves, so the university turned to private equity to help.

“I mean, look, we understand there’s risks with anything of this nature. … We really wanted to take a look at all those risks. We wanted to make sure that the university was properly covered and we wanted to make sure that the deal worked for both sides.”

Utah athletic director Mark Harlan

“The challenge was that as we kept modeling with my team and certainly with (Utah CFO Tony Wagner’s) team and everybody on the president’s team, it just wasn’t penciling out on our ability to keep up with cost because we’re going to be a powerful program,” said Utah athletic director Mark Harlan at December’s board of trustees meeting.

Utah’s deal with private equity firm Otro Capital, first proposed in December, was expected to infuse a total of at least $500 million, per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, with the money being injected at various times over the course of the agreement.

The University of Utah did not release any financial information in regards to the deal on Friday, and declined to comment on financial details in a Friday morning press conference.

Why private equity?

Hearing of private equity partnering with their favorite sports team may have rung alarm bells in some Utah fans’ minds, and Harlan acknowledges that there is risk involved in the deal.

“I mean, look, we understand there’s risks with anything of this nature. … We really wanted to take a look at all those risks. We wanted to make sure that the university was properly covered and we wanted to make sure that the deal worked for both sides,” Harlan said.

The other option, though, was continuing to post deficits as an athletic department.

“I would argue that there’s more risk of not doing anything based on the climate that we’re in and the rising costs for player compensation and operation,” Harlan said.

“So when you look at risks, you have to look at both sides of that equation. But I’m very comfortable after a lot of smarter people than I have looked at this deal 15 different ways, sideways, that we’re comfortable that our risks are covered, but most importantly, our opportunities are right there in front of us.”

Ultimately, Utah believes this is the best path forward in order to stabilize athletics funding and “reduce the prospect of long-term debt, remove pressure to cut less-profitable programs and help secure the future of women’s and Olympic sports at Utah.”

How the deal is structured

There are guardrails in place for the university as it embarks on its deal with Otro Capital.

As part of the agreement, Utah Athletics’ revenue side is being spun off into a new, for-profit company called Crimson Brand Partners.

Matt Webb, who was previously the vice president of corporate sponsorships for the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans and has two decades of experience in professional sports, will be the chief executive officer of Crimson Brand Partners.

The new company will manage the revenue side of Utah Athletics, including events at stadiums and arenas, branding, licensing and sponsorships, ticketing and digital media.

Otro will receive a percentage of the revenue generated by Crimson Brand Partners, but the exact number has not been disclosed publicly.

The university will continue to manage all aspects of coaching, recruiting, scheduling, student-athlete support and private fundraising. All athletics facilities, like the Huntsman Center and Rice-Eccles Stadium, continue to be owned by the university, and the school controls all power in hiring and firing decisions for coaching staffs.

“The governance is very clear on this. Matt and I will work closely together on this as we build and prosper together. All the management of the coaches, student-athletes, all the work within the Big 12, the NCAA, all of those things continue to report through the athletic director, me and the president (Taylor Randall) and the (University of Utah) board (of trustees),” Harlan said.

Crimson Brand Partners will be governed by a board, which will be chaired by Harlan.

The December proposal outlined a potential board structure that included four seats for Utah, including Harlan, two seats for Otro and one seat for a Utah donor/investor.

The board structure is still being finalized ahead of July 1, when Crimson Brand Partners will officially begin operating, but Utah will retain the majority of seats on the board, which is important. It’s not expected that there will be a board seat for a Utah donor/investor.

There’s also an exit strategy for Utah within five to seven years, per Dellenger, and Utah holds the right to purchase Otro’s stake.

Harlan confirmed there are details about exiting in the agreement, but declined to go into those details Friday.

“There is some details about exit and how that would look. We’re not going to get into all of those details, but the concept here is that we have a nice long runway to work with Crimson Brand Partners to get better in everything that Matt just described,” Harlan said.

“When we get to that point years from now, we’ll obviously be able to explain that one a little bit better, but it’s fair to say that we’re very, very excited about all the details that were worked out in that. And the most important thing is we got plenty and plenty of years down the line to worry about it.”

The impact of private equity

One of the first publicly visible impacts of the private equity partnership was the news of layoffs on the Utah Athletics revenue side.

“In preparation for the growth of Crimson Brand Partners (CBP, formerly Utah Brand Initiatives), the university has begun the process of transitioning select units of some university operations to the new company,” a Utah Athletics spokesperson said on June 1. “The first step of that process requires the discontinuation of the individual positions in those units through a reduction in force (RIF), to be followed by CBP’s hiring process.”

Utah Athletics undergoes ‘reduction in force’ as it progresses to private equity deal finalization

Utah needed to wind down the current departments on the revenue side in preparation for the new company, Crimson Brand Partners, to take over those aspects, and many of those that were laid off could be rehired at the new company.

Utah officials said on Friday that Crimson Brand Partners aims to integrate approximately 15 current Utah Athletics employees and is expected to grow to approximately 70 individuals over time.

“Obviously there was some news lately about some of the positions that were what’s called RIF in the university system codes, but these positions are designed to sit within Crimson Brand Partners, so obviously that’s where they’ll go going forward.” Harlan said.

“Those employees are interviewing, going through that process. I anticipate many of them will be working there and that process obviously is underway.”

When people hear about private equity, often the first thing that comes to mind is increased prices and decreased quality.

In a December press conference, Harlan didn’t shy away from potential increases in ticket prices, but shared that he wanted to use “common sense.”

“I think we have to be very cognizant of the different fan base that we have and the different sections and be very, very smart about it. But I don’t want to act like season tickets aren’t going to get raised. That happens in the industry, but how we do it is going to still continue to be monitored.”

Fan experience

Will other aspects of the fan experience be altered by the private equity deal?

“I think the popular idea is cut and burn with private equity, and I think that’s the exact opposite of what we’re going to do here. The thesis for us is we have this incredibly powerful brand and we’re just going to pour more into it,” Webb said.

“We’re going to pour more capital, pour more resources, pour more people into it. And what you’re going to see is basically content and experiences that the fans want and delivering it to them in a way that they’re going to be able to enjoy. Again, our thesis is if we can build this incredibly powerful brand through in-game experience, activation, concessions, content, you’re going to have this umbrella effect that you’ve got this powerful brand and you’re going to drive revenue underneath it.”

New York-based Otro Capital has experience in sports. Its co-founder, Alec Scheiner, was president of the Cleveland Browns from 2012-16 and was also senior vice prescient of the Dallas Cowboys.

Otro’s portfolio includes F1 team Alpine Racing, one of 11 teams in F1 racing, sports event and marketing company FlexWork Sports, and fan and data analytics platform Two Circles.

With Otro’s experience in professional sports, it can help Crimson Brand Partners modernize and streamline revenue generation under one roof.

“Up until maybe a year ago, generally speaking, you would have a separate (multimedia rights) partner, you would have oftentimes a separate ticketing partner. Concessions would be run outside of your purview, under your control, but generally a different partner. Then you’d have somebody else that’s doing campus-wide partnerships,” Webb said.

“... So for us, being able to look at this and say, ‘OK, instead of having four groups with four different agendas, because none of those have the agenda at the athletic department or the university really at the forefront, let’s centralize it under the purview and in the joint venture, under the purview of the foundation and let’s lead with the university.’”

The leadership team

Aside from Webb, Crimson Brand Partners announced three other members of the leadership team, including two with professional sports experience.

Alex Schulte, who held leadership roles for the Kansas City Royals, New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, and International Speedway Corporation (now NASCAR) for over 15 years, will be the chief commercial officer.

Joel Adams, who has two decades of ticketing experience, including senior roles with the Arizona Cardinals, LA Clippers and Miami Dolphins, will be the chief ticketing officer

Garrett Best, who has nearly 20 years of finance and accounting experience, with leadership roles at Mediconnect, Verisk, Cotiviti and Biomerics, will be the chief financial officer.

Is this a model other schools could follow?

The eyes of the college sports world are on Utah as it begins the first-of-its-kind partnership.

Utah is still the only school to complete a private equity partnership. Boise State created Bronco Athletics Growth Solutions and were considering a private equity partnership, but never went through with a deal or found a partner.

The Big 12 Conference partnered with investment management firm RedBird Capital to offer up to $30 million in a line of credit that would have to be paid back with a double-digit interest rate, but no school has taken them up on the offer.

While Utah is the first in this space, it may not be the last, especially if there’s no meaningful reform to college athletics.

With many schools running a deficit in the athletic department, they will need some way to bridge the gap. Some athletic departments cut sports, others put a new surcharge on ticket sales. Each and every way to cut expenses and increase revenue has been explored.

The current model is proving to be unsustainable for most of those not in the upper echelon of college athletics, so private equity could start to look attractive in certain cases.

“I would say on this matter, yes, I’ve received multiple calls from presidents and from ADs — ‘How did you do it? How is this going to work’ — so I know there’s a lot of interest,” Harlan said.

“I will harken back to the University of Utah is unique. It’s special. It has leadership that is leading into the new day. We have a group of trustees that really understand and listen and learn about everything we’re going through.

“So it takes a lot of people to come together to figure out a deal, and you guys saw how long it took us to really get every ‘T’ crossed and ‘I’ dotted,” he continued. “So we’ll see what happens. What I really hope is the industry continues to figure out different creative ways to manage. We all have a responsibility to keep intercollegiate athletics going as strong as we can. So I do hope that folks find solutions as we move ahead.”

The partnership between Utah and Under Armour will end after the current deal expires following the 2026-27 athletic season. Ben Portnoy of the Sports Business Journal was the first to report the news Monday night.

“Under Armour remains deeply committed to supporting student-athletes through its robust collegiate athletics program,” an Under Armour spokesperson said in a statement to the Deseret News. “While we have agreed to conclude our partnership with the University of Utah, we are proud of the support and resources we’ve provided their student-athletes, coaches and fans over the years. We look forward to completing a strong final year with the Utes.”

Utah’s football program started wearing Under Armour in the 2008 season, with the rest of the programs in the athletic department joining in a school-wide deal ahead of the 2011-12 season.

There were a lot of eyeballs on Under Armour’s new uniforms in the first year of the football partnership, as Utah’s football team went 13-0 in 2008 with a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

After starting on that note, Utah and Under Armour stayed together for nearly two decades, upping their deal with a 10-year extension that was worth $65 million to the university.

“The University of Utah greatly appreciates its 18-year partnership with Under Armour, and has immense gratitude for the many benefits it has provided to our student-athletes,” a Utah Athletics spokesperson told the Deseret News in a statement.

“Utah Athletics and Under Armour have experienced significant growth in our nearly two decades as partners, including our moves from the Mountain West to the Pac-12, and now to the Big 12 Conference. Thank you to Kevin Plank and the team at Under Armour for their incredible support for the University of Utah, our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans.”

The Utes partnered with Nike for Utah’s football program since at least 2000 prior to moving to Under Armour in 2008, while Utah’s men’s basketball team was outfitted in Adidas starting in 2007 until the Under Armour deal went into effect for the entire athletic department in 2011.

The Utes landed a commitment from three-star wide receiver Dillon Sykes Monday afternoon, bringing the day’s total to three commitments after landing linebacker Aiden Martin and tight end Braxton Daniel earlier.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Sykes is first wide receiver in Utah’s 2027 class and is an important piece. In his junior season at Rancho Cucamonga High in California, Sykes had 25 receptions for 281 yards and five touchdowns while playing in eight games, according to his MaxPreps stats page.

Nothing Else to be Said …. COMMITTED ! @Utah_Football @RCHSCougarsFB @BlairAngulo @GregBiggins @adamgorney @247Sports @On3 @Rivals @OrtegeJenkins16 pic.twitter.com/mEmo6K5YTZ

— Dillon Sykes | 3 ⭐️27’ WR (@DillonSykes2_) June 8, 2026

Sykes’ offer sheet included Purdue and Arizona, but also Ivy League schools like Dartmouth, Harvard and Penn. He has a 4.0 GPA.

Rivals ranks him as the No. 170 wide receiver nationally with an 86 grade.

Utah has quickly bolstered its class in recent weeks, with eight players now committed. Sykes joins linebacker Aiden Martin, tight end Braxton Daniel, running back Jonah Mailei, offensive linemen Sire Stewart and Damian Anyasodo, defensive lineman Tiki Teeples and edge rusher Jack Henderson as part of Morgan Scalley’s inaugural recruiting class at Utah. All are rated three stars by recruiting sites.

The 6-foot-1, 170 pound receiver, who caught 84 passes for 1,470 yards and 20 touchdowns last year at Norco High, also has Beehive State schools Utah and BYU in his final five, along with UCLA.

‘Everything we need to win big here’: How Morgan Scalley’s first recruiting class at Utah is shaping up

Top prospect Blake Wong, a WR who has BYU and Utah in his top 5, will announce his decision in late June

He recently took his official visit to Salt Lake City, and the experience impressed him so much that Utah now has a chance in his recruitment, though beating out Ohio State, Oregon and BYU could be a tough task.

“I think they made a very, very good move with him. I don’t want to call them the favorite, but I think they certainly moved into that very short list,” said On3/Rivals national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman. “I know BYU is definitely up there as well and Oregon obviously has made a big push there and he’s had a really good relationship with Oregon for some time.”

“... I think Utah certainly went from being, ‘Hey, I’m going to take a visit,’ to very much a consideration for him.”

Wong’s visit to Salt Lake City included all the regular bells and whistles, from a hotel stay to a facilities tour to the customary recruit photoshoot.

There was also a unique aspect of last weekend’s trip for the Latter-day Saint.

Utah arranged a meeting between Wong and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apostle Elder Ronald A. Rasband at the Church Office Building on Temple Square.

🏈🪶 pic.twitter.com/cwT4MRBBqQ

— Blake Wong 4 ⭐️ 27’ WR (@Blake3229) May 30, 2026

“It was really good to hear the stories that he’s had and ask him important questions about my life and his view on things. It was really good, a really special meeting,” Wong said.

Being able to ask questions was a special experience for Wong.

“Like I said, just being able to ask the questions that I had in my head. I know it’s a very special opportunity and just taking it in and just getting to hear all the things that he has to say and his knowledge of the gospel and his life experiences,” Wong said.

After his visit to Salt Lake City, Wong told Steve Bartle of KSL Sports that Utah was a place where the “gospel is very important.”

“I had visits around the school and there’s programs at the school that can help you talk to others and build your relationship in Christ. Not only that, Scalley and the coaches that are LDS, who even aren’t LDS, are very good representatives of Christ and they all act a way and they all carry themselves in really good ways,” Wong told the Deseret News.

“Obviously, they’ll have their studies as groups and stuff like that, but I feel like the most important thing is the way that they act and the way they carry themselves and they all carry themselves in good ways and Christ-centered lives.”

As for the football aspect of his visit, Wong really connected with Utah’s culture under Scalley.

“Definitely the family and the culture, being able to see how everybody is connecting and how it’s a little bit different there. It’s a little bit special,” Wong said, “I know I said it multiple times already, but the culture there is a little bit different when it comes to how everybody’s connected and how the coaches view their players and how the players view their coaches and hanging with them definitely showed that a lot.”

Utah’s offensive coaches, including offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven and wide receivers coach Chad Bumphis, went over his potential role in the offense, which would include a little bit of everything.

“Just somebody that could do everything. I could line up as a wideout and make a play deep, take a jet sweep or take a screen to the house. Just moving me everywhere that I can be, being a combo-type guy,” Wong said.

The talented wide receiver will also take visits to UCLA, BYU, Oregon and Ohio State before announcing his choice on June 27.

“Utah is a really great school and they sit really well. Going to take all my (official visits) and I plan to take all my OVs before I commit,” Wong said.

After receiving a pledge from three-star Oklahoma tight end Braxton Daniel earlier in the day, the Utes received a commitment from three-star Texas linebacker Aiden Martin in the afternoon.

Martin had offers from Houston, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Northwestern and UCLA, but chose to continue his football career at Utah.

#AGTG I’m home🏠🔒 @Utah_Football @RSNBUtes @Colton_Swan @_Ryan_Nelson @MasonYellicoUT @BFNDFball @BasoreCoach @JeffHoweth7 @CoachRitcheyFB @BamPerformance pic.twitter.com/F5GlhybtC4

— Aiden Martin (@AidenMartin27) June 8, 2026

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound prospect played safety at Brennan High in San Antonio, Texas, and is listed as a safety on recruiting sites, but will likely play linebacker at Utah.

Utah continues to build its 2027 class, which is now up to seven commits as a busy June official visit season rolls on. Martin joins tight end Braxton Daniel, running back Jonah Mailei, offensive linemen Sire Stewart and Damian Anyasodo, defensive lineman Tiki Teeples and edge rusher Jack Henderson as part of Morgan Scalley’s inaugural recruiting class at Utah. All are rated three stars by recruiting sites.

The Utes picked up a commitment from three-star Oklahoma tight end Braxton Daniel on Monday morning after his weekend visit to Salt Lake City.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Daniel, who attends Jenks High in Jenks, Oklahoma, caught 16 passes for 545 yards and six touchdowns for a whopping 34.1 yards per reception, per 247Sports.

He’s the first tight end of Utah’s 2027 class and the first recruit landed by new Ute tight ends coach Luke Wells.

Daniel is rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and is currently ranked as the No. 57 tight end nationally by the 247Sports composite system.

Utah now has six commits in its 2027 class, including four on the offensive side of the ball. Daniel joins running back Jonah Mailei, offensive linemen Sire Stewart and Damian Anyasodo, defensive lineman Tiki Teeples and edge rusher Jack Henderson as part of Morgan Scalley’s inaugural recruiting class at Utah. All are rated three stars.

‘Everything we need to win big here’: How Morgan Scalley’s first recruiting class at Utah is shaping up

Cougar athletic director Brian Santiago appointed Todd Miller as the new head coach of the men’s golf program on Friday.

“We are excited to announce Todd Miller as our new head men’s golf coach,” Santiago said in a press release. “He has been mentored by one of the best coaches in the business, Bruce Brockbank, and is ready to lead our golf program into the future. Todd is an ambassador for the game of golf and will be a great teacher and mentor for our incredible student-athletes. The future is bright.”

Longtime Cougar men’s golf head coach Bruce Brockbank retired after this season, which saw BYU get to the NCAA championships.

Bruce Brockbank is winding up his legendary coaching career by leading BYU to an NCAA regional

Miller, who has been on Brockbank’s staff for the past 21 years, will officially take over in July.

Miller played at BYU starting in 1998, serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and finishing up as a player in 2005.

For the past 14 seasons, Miller has been the Cougars’ director of golf.

“I am humbled by this unique opportunity to be a head coach at Brigham Young University,” Miller said in a press release.

“For the past 21 years, I’ve watched Bruce Brockbank recruit, coach and love our golfers, and now I get the privilege to step into that role. I am passionate about BYU because of the impact the coaches, athletic department and the university had in my personal life,” he said. “My desire is to create an environment where our student-athletes can grow spiritually and succeed in their academics while competing at the highest level in collegiate athletics.

“Our goal will be to win another national championship, and I feel like we have the support from our department, our donors and our alumni to accomplish it.”

Morgan Scalley is right in the thick of building his first-ever recruiting class as Utah’s head coach, and he’s doing it his own way.

Known as a good recruiter with a keen eye for under-the-radar pickups as a safeties coach and defensive coordinator, Scalley is now in charge of the entire show.

He hired Joe D’Orazio, the former director of football strategy at USC, as the program’s general manager, and retained Mason Yellico as the director of player personnel.

Scalley has extensive experience as a lead recruiter, specializing in finding players in Texas, California and Utah, but he is now overseeing everything, which puts him in a different role than he’s used to.

As the head coach, he’s the face of the program for parents and recruits, helping each family understand the type of program — and head coach — their son could potentially play for.

“Obviously, parents, recruits want to know that the head coach they’re coming in to play for cares about them,” Scalley told the Deseret News recently. “I want to be in contact with them. I want them to think that this is not just, ‘I’m going to see coach in the hallway and that’s it.’”

Of course, as a good evaluator of talent himself, Scalley is still watching film on recruits and giving his opinion, but ultimately is trusting his position group coaches to bring in recruits that can both help the Utes win and fit with the culture.

“I have to be able to trust that our coordinators and position coaches are bringing in who they want if they can help us win,” he said. “And ultimately, my job is to sell this place, to sell this experience, to sell what makes this place great and what’s going to make them great.”

While each recruiting pitch is tailored to the individual player, part of Scalley’s “elevator pitch” on why a player should choose Utah is about continuity and consistency.

Scalley has been a Ute for his whole career, rising from the ranks of a player to a coach, and is just the second head coach of the program over the past 22 seasons. Since 2006, Scalley says, only 15 programs have had only two coaching changes over that time span, and those teams are “68% winning programs.”

During the last four years, Scalley says, 68% of NFL draft picks played for only one school.

“This is a place where you’re going to get developed, where you’re going to stick it out and you’re going to be loved. Culture matters. You’ve got an unbelievable fan base that shows up,” Scalley said.

Here are the details of Morgan Scalley’s contract with Utah

“I was at Big 12 coaches meetings the last two days and just in talking to the coaches, they said Rice-Eccles is the loudest environment, the toughest environment to play in. That’s saying something because there’s some really good environments in our conference. So you got an unbelievable fan base, you’re going to get developed both as a man and as a football player and you’re going to have a coaching staff that’s going to be here.”

Scalley was extremely busy last weekend as the Utes welcomed in 11 official visitors, according to On3, including four-star wide receivers Blake Wong and Ronnie Gomiller, four-star offensive linemen Gecova Doyal and Lincoln Mageo, and three-star safety Darrod Jacobs.

For Scalley, any recruit that Utah brings in needs to fit in with the team’s culture.

“When we recruit and we bring these young men in on these weekends, we’re not just bringing in any dude. We’re bringing in guys we feel that fit our culture,” Scalley said. “You have to be real, you have to be genuine. They can recognize fake. So what I want is people to want us for who we are. And if that happens — and it does happen — we’ll be fine.

“We got an unbelievable fan base, great support, great donors. This is an amazing place. I’ve had opportunities to leave and have never felt the need to because we have everything we need to win big here.”

As the calendar turned to June, Utah had just four commitments in its 2027 recruiting class, and is ranked last in On3’s Big 12 team recruiting rankings, but the Utes are just getting started.

The majority of its class is expected to commit by July after a flurry of June visits. Ever since early signing day was pushed up to December, most official visits happen during June, with commitments following shortly thereafter.

“I think you’re going to see by June 20th, June 21st, which is the last day of visits before the dead period, I think you’re going to see them have seven to 10 new commitments by then,” On3/Rivals national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman told the Deseret News this week.

Each weekend in June will be full of official visitors. Next week, per On3, the Utes will host nine official visitors, including three-star quarterback Brody Rudnicki, and the weekend after, Utah will host 13 recruits, including four-star Davis wide receiver Bode Sparrow.

“I think the way the recruiting calendar has expedited, you don’t have a choice but to decide early. For instance, Rivals is doing a big national recruiting day on July 1st and it’s not an official signing day, but you’ll see 90% of the Power Four schools classes almost done by July 1st,” Huffman said.

Who are some of the big targets for Utah?

Brody Rudnicki, QB

Utah has two quarterbacks visiting — Folsom, California, three-star Brody Rudnicki and Humble, Texas, three-star Noah Spinks.

Rudnicki is the higher-rated of the two and ranks No. 44 among 2027 quarterbacks in Rivals’ rankings. Utah is in the mix, per Huffman, but faces challenges from finalists BYU and Cal, though Cal recently signed a 2027 quarterback in Dane Weber.

Rudnicki played at the same high school as four-star Cougar commit Ryder Lyons after transferring from Oak Ridge High to Folsom. At Folsom, he sat behind Lyons, but led the school to a 42-28 comeback win in the state championship after Lyons left the game with an injury.

Lyons and Rudnicki, both Latter-day Saint members, plan to serve missions. Lyons is expected to be the heir apparent to Bear Bachmeier at BYU, and Rudnicki and Lyons have a great relationship.

The question is, does Rudnicki want to try and compete against Lyons for the starting spot yet again and possibly be behind him once more?

“This guy’s been chomping at the bit and I know a lot of people think, ‘Oh, he was content, he transferred knowing he was going to sit behind Ryder in high school.’ A lot of that was to be developed in a good high school program. I think there’s people that feel, ‘Oh, he’ll do the same thing at BYU,’ Huffman said. “No, now I think it’s a competitive thing. So that could help with Utah, like, ‘Hey, the best chance to go up against Ryder and compete against him is to play against him.’

“I know Cal is obviously a factor as well, just given the Northern California proximity. But I think Utah, I know (QB coach) Ryan Gunderson has made a nice push for him, so I think Utah’s got a very realistic chance at getting in and I think the timing is right. He’ll come in with not a lot of wear and tear on that arm of his, either.”

The timing could work out well.

Byrd Ficklin, given the Utes can hold onto him in the transfer portal for one more offseason, should be the starter in 2027 and beyond. Rudnicki would suit up in 2028, which would put him in line to be the backup in Ficklin’s senior season with a potential path to start a year later.

That being said, the Utes will have to fend off the Cougars and the Golden Bears for a shot at the three-star quarterback.

Rashaun Lavata’i, OL

Rated a four-star prospect by Rivals, offensive tackle Rashaun Lavata’i is scheduled to visit Utah on June 12. He’ll also visit Oregon State and Washington State.

The 6-foot-6, 270-pound offensive tackle and Washington native is one of the top offensive linemen on the board for the Utes.

“Labatai is a four star, an elite prospect, Rivals 300, was the MVP at the Under Armor camp in Phoenix. … I think he kind of fits in naturally at Utah,” Huffman said.

This year, Huffman says, the Utes may be looking more out of state for offensive linemen than in-state. Just three offensive linemen from the state of Utah make Rivals’ top 300 list.

“It really seems, interestingly enough, for a school that’s always recruited in-state offensive linemen, it’s not a great offensive line class in the state in 2027. So they’re doing a lot of national offensive line recruiting and it’s kind of evident with how many official visits they’ve got coming in that are linemen from outside the state,” Huffman said.

Ian Aloisio, OL

One of those top in-state targets on the offensive line is Ian Aloisio, who is ranked as the No. 6 player in the state of Utah by Rivals.

He will visit Utah on June 19 and Arizona on June 12, and the Utes are in a good position to earn his services. Aloisio will be a top priority to keep in-state for the Utes.

Christian Hanshaw, TE

American Fork tight end Christian Hanshaw has drawn interest from all over the nation, including Florida, UCLA and Tennessee. Of course, he has the in-state offers from BYU and Utah, but Freddie and Kyle Whittingham at Michigan are also making a run at the talented tight end.

He’ll visit Utah, where Scalley and tight ends coach Luke Wells will make their pitch. Will he stay in state?

“Going back to one of the in-state kids that I think that they really do have a good chance is Christian Hanshaw,” Huffman said.

Other top targets

Other top targets include Orem edge rusher Jag Ioane, Davis wide receiver Sparrow (No. 1 the state of Utah) and Maple Mountain edge rusher Uhila Wolfgramm.

All three have Utah visits lined up, but it could be an uphill battle for the Utes to keep them in-state.

Four-star California wide receiver Blake Wong is high on the Utes’ list, and after last weekend’s visit to Salt Lake City, Utah may have moved into a position to be competitive in the recruitment, though he does have offers from Oregon and Ohio State.

“I think they made a very, very good move with him. I don’t want to call them the favorite, but I think they certainly moved into that very short list. I know BYU is definitely up there as well and Oregon obviously has made a big push there and he’s had a really good relationship with Oregon for some time,” Huffman said.

“... I think Utah certainly went from being, ‘Hey, I’m going to take a visit,’ to very much a consideration for him.”

Another priority skill player is four-star wide receiver Ronnie Gomiller, who had a good visit with Utah this weekend.

What are the priority positions for Scalley in 2027?

As expected with Scalley’s culture, which prides itself on physicality, the trenches are a big priority, especially after the Utes lost all five starters on the offensive line.

“Obviously, having two first-round draft picks is certainly helpful with a first-time offensive line coach, first-time college coach and Jordan Gross, there hasn’t been any seemingly dropoff in terms of his effort at that position,” Huffman said.

“I mean, obviously Jim Harding had a lot of experience and then to go and get two first-round draft picks and develop them was huge. And then he goes and gets Kelvin Obot. But obviously nobody knows Kelvin Obot better than Jordan Gross, so it’s almost like you can give Jordan a lot of credit for him.

“And so when he’s been out recruiting offensive linemen in this class, you’re seeing an emphasis on like, ‘Hey, we’re Utah. We pride ourselves on winning the trenches.’ So I think you’re seeing an emphasis on offensive linemen, you’re seeing an emphasis on edge rushers.”

We’ve discussed Lavata’i and Aloisio, and Utah will try to land other commitments from players like four-star offensive linemen Lincoln Mageo and Gecova Doyal and three-stars Tye Kennedy and Ben Rainwater.

Scalley will have to fend off his former boss for Mageo and Kennedy — Michigan has offered both players — but Utah has a shot.

“I really like Tye Kennedy. Michigan’s recruiting him, he’s taken an official visit up to Michigan. But I know he really likes Utah. His dad played in the NFL for a long time, dad was a first-round draft pick. His brother played in the NFL for a long time, played at USC. So there’s some strong ties. I know he really likes Jordan Gross,” Huffman said.

The Utes have already seen action on the offensive line front after last weekend’s official visit, landing a commitment from three-star Arizona offensive lineman Sire Stewart late Tuesday night.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound interior offensive lineman had offers from Arizona, Cal, Baylor, Duke and Oklahoma State, but Utah made enough of an impression this weekend for him to shut down his recruitment.

On the defensive line, the Utes have two commitments already — three-star edge rusher Jack Henderson and defensive lineman Tiki Teeples — and are in pursuit of more, like three-star edge rusher Cameron Saunders.

A look at who is already committed to Utah

Jack Henderson, edge rusher, 6-3, 230 pounds, Bishop Kelly High (Boise, Idaho)

Henderson committed to the Utes back in April, and at the time, didn’t hold many Power Four offers. Scalley and the Utes saw something special in their evaluation and offered him before any other Power Four school did, securing his commitment early.

It’s an under-the-radar pickup, something that Utah has become known for — see Eric Weddle, Alex Smith and Devin Lloyd as the highest-profile examples — and Huffman could surprise people when he suits up for the Utes.

“I know he’s not the highest-rated guy in this class, but I finally got to see Jack Henderson myself when I was actually in Salt Lake City for the Under Armour camp,” Huffman said.

“He’s kind of like that classic Utah guy that nobody really talks about. He’s from Idaho, he didn’t have a lot of offers and then ends up being, this is like the … Luther Elliss special. Find a guy that was lightly recruited and they turn him loose, the next thing you know, they’ve a Big 12 defensive player of the year type of guy.”

Tiki Teeples, defensive lineman, 6-4, 265 pounds, Canyon View High (Waddell, Arizona)

Teeples had offers from Texas Tech, Iowa State and West Virginia before deciding to commit to the Utes.

In his junior year for Canyon View High in Waddell, Arizona, Teeples tallied 63 tackles, 12.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble, and he could become a presence on the defensive line for the Utes.

“He’s another guy that I’m super intrigued by. I think he could be that classic three tech. So again, where I mentioned that they’re kind of focusing on the trenches, two of their four — in my opinion, their best commits — are an edge rusher and a defensive lineman. So I really like both those guys,” Huffman said.

Jonah Mailei, running back, 6-1, 205 pounds, Skyline High

Another player that Utah got in on early, Mailei committed to Utah over Boise State and Oregon State.

He rushed for 1,197 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns last year for the Eagles. Out of the backfield, he also caught 25 passes for 347 yards and four scores and was named an honorable mention on the Deseret News’ 4A All-State team.

Mailei’s father, Marcus, played running back at Weber State and appeared in two games for the New Orleans Saints in their Super Bowl-winning season.

He was originally unranked by recruiting services, but is now a three-star prospect after committing to the Utes.

Sire Stewart, offensive tackle, 6-5, 255 pounds, Chandler High (Chandler, Arizona)

Stewart became the first offensive line commit of the cycle for the Utes when he committed Tuesday.

He had offers from Arizona, Cal, Baylor, Duke and Oklahoma State, but committed soon after his visit to Salt Lake City.

Stewart is the first recruit landed by Jordan Gross, who is in his first-ever recruiting cycle. Look for the Utes to add at least a few more offensive linemen before the month is done.

Recruits for Ute fans to keep an eye on

Who could be next up to commit to Utah? Keep an eye on three-star Texas safety Darrod “Bug” Jacobs and three-star California wide receiver Dillon Sykes.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Jacobs has offers from a number of Big 12 schools, including Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State and Houston, but the Utes made a big impression on him on his visit.

“I think that they made a major move for him this weekend and my colleague at Rivals Sam Spiegelman actually put in a prediction for Utah based on the visit,” Huffman said. “He’s canceled his subsequent official visits that were scheduled. So I think that Utah is certainly trending positively for him and they’re now in a very, very good position to get him.”

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Sykes has offers from Purdue, Arizona and Navy, but Utah is in a good position.

“I think that Utah is, again, in a fantastic spot for him right now. I think that there’s been a prediction for the Utes for a while and it’s always felt like a matter of when, not if they’re going to get him,” Huffman said.

In case you missed it

As Utah Athletics moves forward with its private equity deal with Otro Capital, the athletic department has begun a “reduction in force.”

As select units transition to Utah’s new, for-profit LLC, Crimson Brand Partners, employees began receiving notice on Friday that they will be laid off June 30, with the option to reapply for a similar position with Crimson Brand Partners.

From the archives

Big 12 QB rankings: How Brendan Sorsby quagmire changes things for Devon Dampier, Bear Bachmeier

Taking stock of how Utes’ spring sports teams fared in 2026

Former Ute standout making the most of his professional baseball journey

Extra points

• It’s unanimous: Big 12 football coaches favor a 24-team college football playoff in 2027
• Utah track sends 2 to NCAA championships
• How Big 12 coaches feel about the state of the conference — and college basketball as a whole

Three-star offensive lineman Sire Stewart locked in his decision to continue his football career at Utah late on Tuesday night, giving the Utes their fourth commitment in the 2027 class.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound interior offensive lineman chose the Utes soon after his visit to Salt Lake City, committing to Scalley, Jordan Gross and Utah before even taking his planned trips to Boise State and Washington State.

The Chandler High lineman also had offers from Arizona, Cal, Baylor, Duke and Oklahoma State.

Stewart is the fourth member of the Utes’ 2027 class, joining running back Jonah Mailei, defensive lineman Tiki Teeples and edge rusher Jack Henderson, who are all three-star talents.

He’s the first offensive lineman to commit to Utah, but he certainly won’t be the last, as the position is a point of emphasis for Scalley this cycle.

According to On3’s Billy Embody, Adams enrolled at SMU and intends to play for the football team. He changed his Instagram bio to @smufb.

Despite playing baseball professionally for eight years, Adams would still have college football eligibility. He’s not the first to return to college football after baseball, as CBS Sports points out, with Monte Harrison playing at Arkansas in 2023 and Brandon Weeden playing at Oklahoma State in 2010.

Adams played 38 games over three seasons for the Angels, batting .165 with one home run and five RBI. In September 2024, he hit a walk-off single to beat the Chicago White Sox.

He spent two seasons with the Salt Lake Bees, batting .267 with 15 home runs and 67 RBI in 2023, and .261 with 10 home runs and 58 RBI in 2024.

He showed off his athleticism multiple times during his time in the minors, including a home run robbery that saved what would have been the go-ahead runs during his time with the Nashville Sounds.

Adams was one of the top wide receivers in the nation in the high school class of 2018. He was a five-star prospect and was ranked the No. 17 player in the entire country and the No. 3 wide receiver by 247Sports, behind only Amon-Ra St. Brown, now a star with the Lions, and Justin Shorter, who plays for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Adams was even ranked ahead of Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase by 247Sports.

At 26 years old, with his high school contemporaries in the NFL, Adams will chase his own football dream with SMU.

Women’s tennis went to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 14 years, track and field sent eight athletes to NCAA regionals and two to the NCAA championships and the men’s golf team made the NCAA regionals for the third-straight time.

Though baseball and softball missed out on NCAA tournaments, both teams showed progress.

Here’s a recap of how the Utes performed in spring sports.

Baseball

After years of waiting for an on-campus home, the University of Utah unveiled its state-of-the-art ballpark on Guardsman Way this spring. The 3,000-seat Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark gives the Utes everything they need in one place, from a team lounge to a weight room and indoor batting and pitching cages.

‘It’s first class’: It’s time to play ball at Utah baseball’s new ballpark

Before, the Utes were split into three areas — the HPER complex by the Huntsman Center, the practice field on Guardsman Way and Smith’s Ballpark, where they played their games.

Now, it’s all under one roof.

While that obviously benefits the team, there was new energy from the fans as well. Everyone has a great view in the 3,000-seat ballpark, which creates a much more intimate environment than the 15,500-seat Smith’s Ballpark.

On the field, the Utes showed progress in their second season in the Big 12, finishing the regular season with a 26-24 record and improving by four games to go 12-18 in Big 12 play.

The Utes’ bats led them the majority of the season, scoring 7.3 runs per game. Jake Long (.369 batting average, 76 hits, 56 RBI and 11 home runs), Jet Gilliam (.368, 68 hits, 36 RBI, six HR) and Cameron Gurney (.356, 68 hits, 48 RBI and seven HR) brought the firepower on offense.

Utes made progress in second Big 12 season. Can they win in first-ever Big 12 tournament appearance?

On the mound, the Utes need to improve if they want to continue to progress next season. Utah had an ERA of 6.65, second-worst in the league, and ranked last in the Big 12 in strikeouts.

Utah did make its first-ever Big 12 baseball tournament, but fell 9-5 to Kansas State in the first round after giving up four runs in the eighth inning.

Overall, Utah’s baseball program has real momentum after opening a new stadium and improving its record. Can it take the next step as a program in 2027?

Track and field

For the fifth-consecutive time, the Utah track and field team sent at least eight athletes to the NCAA regionals, including the 4x100 relay team for the second time in school history.

Two Utes punched their ticket to the NCAA championships — Chelsea Amoah in the 200-meter dash and Mackenzie Rogers in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

‘Our program is really rolling right now’: Utes send 8 to NCAA track regionals, led by 4x100 relay team

Amoah ran a time of 22.85 seconds to earn her trip to the NCAA championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, while Rogers’ time of 10:08.03 was good for a trip to the championships.

It’s the fifth-straight year the Utes have sent multiple athletes to the NCAA championships, which start on Wednesday, June 10.

Women’s tennis

The Utah women’s tennis team returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 14 years after posting a winning record (8-5) for the first time ever as a member of a power conference.

Utah went 15-9 and had an ITA team ranking of 38, punching its ticket to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012. The Utes went on a nine-match winning streak in March that bolstered their résumé.

‘A special group’: Utah women’s tennis team returns to NCAA Tournament for first time in 14 years

No. 1 singles player Emma Kamper led the way with a record 16-3, while Sara Akid tallied a 14-3 mark, Kaila Barksdale went 12-2, Emmie Moore went 13-8 and Emma Valletta went 11-8.

Though the Utes lost 4-1 to Cal in the first round of the NCAA tournament, it was the most successful season in over a decade for the women’s tennis team.

Softball

Utah softball had a rare losing season in 2025, finishing the year with a 13-40 record and just a 5-19 mark in Big 12 play.

In 2026, the Utes rebounded to a 35-20-1 record — a huge improvement — but a 10-13-1 mark in conference play, combined with a 7-0 loss to No. 2 seed Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament, meant that Utah was on the outside looking in come NCAA tournament time.

Still, the Utes made huge strides from a season ago and are set up well for next year with a young team.

Freshman Mia Gomez led Utah with a .383 batting average, 64 hits, 13 doubles, 11 home runs and 41 RBI. Sophomore Kennedy Proctor wasn’t far behind with a .338 batting average, 54 hits, 13 doubles, 14 home runs and 41 RBI. Freshman Danika Wilson added 48 hits, six doubles, eight home runs and 41 RBI.

The Utes 336 total runs ranked eighth in the Big 12

In the circle, Utah was among the best in the conference with an ERA of 2.81, led by sophomore Hailey Maestretti, who had an ERA of 2.53 and struck out 82. Junior Shelby Jones, the team’s other starter, had an ERA of 2.55 and struck out 92.

Gomez was named a freshman All-American by D1Softball and also made the All-Big 12 second team. Maestretti also was named to the All-Big 12 second team

If the Utes can improve on offense as a team next season, they could make some noise in the Big 12.

Golf

In the fall, Utah’s golf team made program history with a No. 1 ranking in October, led by Gabriel Palacios, who also ranked No. 1 in the nation individually.

In the spring season, the Utes slipped from their fall performance, but still punched their ticket to the NCAA regionals for the third-consecutive time.

After advancing to third-straight NCAA regional, can Utes make it back to the championships?

Sergio Jimenez (No. 63), Gabriel Palacios (No. 150) and Brandon Robison (No. 169 in the nation) all ranked in the top 200 nationally and the Utes posted three top-five finishes, including a first-place finish in March’s Schenkel Invitational in which they posted a 21-under, in the fall season.

At the Columbus regional, Utah overcame 16-over and 19-over performances in the first two rounds with a 2-over total in round three, but was the first team to miss the cut with a 37-over total score.

Lacrosse

Utah missed out on the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year, falling 13-12 to Air Force in the ASUN semifinals.

The Utes improved their record from 6-9 to 9-5, but missed the cut for NCAA tournament.

Luke McNamara led Utah with 66 points, including 60 goals, while Ryan Stines added 64 points (39 goals, 25 assists) and Zachary White contributed 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists).

McNamara led the nation in goals per game with 4.29 and the Utes were top in the country in goals per game as a team with 15.64, but No. 16 in the country in goals allowed per game with 9.93.

Men’s tennis

It was a down year for men’s tennis after a 14-10 season in 2025.

The Utes went 7-16 and just 2-6 in Big 12 play, losing in the first round of the Big 12 tournament to Baylor.

Dante Teramo was the Utes’ No. 1 player with a record of 7-12, while Emmett Potter went 9-9 as the No. 2 player.

“In preparation for the growth of Crimson Brand Partners (CBP, formerly Utah Brand Initiatives), the university has begun the process of transitioning select units of some university operations to the new company,” a Utah Athletics spokesperson said. “The first step of that process requires the discontinuation of the individual positions in those units through a reduction in force (RIF), to be followed by CBP’s hiring process,”

As part of the first-of-its-kind deal with private equity Otro Sports, Utah Athletics will spin its revenue side off into a new, for-profit company called Crimson Brand Partners. As select units transition to the new enterprise, employees began receiving notice on Friday that they were being laid off, with the option to reapply for a similar position with Crimson Brand Partners.

The official separation date will be on June 30.

How will the proposed Utah Athletics private equity deal impact fans?

What does private equity mean for the future of college sports?

As it progresses toward the finalization of the private equity deal, Utah needed to wind down the current departments on the revenue side in preparation for the new company, Crimson Brand Partners, to take over those aspects. Many of those that were laid off could be rehired at the new company.

A university spokesperson did not respond to questions about the estimated number of people affected by the transition, the process to potentially be rehired, which specific departments are being affected, or an estimated time frame for the private equity deal to close.

The Salt Lake Tribune was the first to report news of the layoffs.

Utah’s private equity deal with Otro Capital

Announced in December, Utah’s deal with Otro Capital made it the first university athletic department to strike a partnership with a private equity firm.

In June 2025, the House v. NCAA settlement paved the way for universities to share a portion of their revenue with college athletes, putting a new $20.5 million line-item on already razor-thin athletics budgets and sending shockwaves throughout the college sports world.

Some schools cut sports, others made cuts in their budgets or put a surcharge on ticket sales. Each and every way to cut expenses and increase revenue was explored.

For Utah, the reason it turned to private equity is simple — the new numbers just weren’t adding up.

“The challenge was that as we kept modeling with my team and certainly with (Utah CFO Tony Wagner’s) team and everybody on the president’s team, it just wasn’t penciling out on our ability to keep up with cost because we’re going to be a powerful program,” said Utah athletic director Mark Harlan at December’s board of trustees meeting.

“And to be a powerful program, you have to be at the very top of the revenue share number. We have a successful football team most every year, which means everyone comes looking for them, right? I mean, I’ve been in places where you don’t get calls about your coaches. That’s not a very fun place to be. It’s different at the University of Utah. We want to retain and we want to reward, but as we penciled everything out, it just wasn’t adding up.”

By keeping on the current course, Utah would have drained its athletics financial reserves.

“To me, I felt like sitting and collecting deficits every year would eventually, as has been described here, start draining other critical parts of this university,” Harlan said at the December board meeting.

There was risk partnering with a private equity firm, but there was also a risk in keeping on the current trajectory.

University of Utah president Taylor Randall and Harlan felt like partnering with Otro was the best course of action in a challenging situation.

The original announcement touted a $500 million total infusion for the athletic department, Yahoo Sports reported, which would come at different times over the course of the agreement.

Randall said “right now, we need an infusion. We may need an infusion just before the Olympics.”

The original plan also spelled out that donors would also have the ability to purchase a stake in the new Crimson Brand Partners enterprise, providing a revenue source separate from Otro.

Utah will have majority ownership and decision-making control in Crimson Brand Partners. Harlan will be the chairman of the board and Utah will have four members, including Harlan, on the board. Otro will have two members on the board and one other board spot will be filled by a Utah donor/investor.

Utah will have a majority rule on all decisions. Hiring and firing coaches remains solely with Utah, as does conference membership, scholarship management, player management, revenue-sharing membership and compliance — those aspects of the athletic department are not included in the new Crimson Brand Partners company.

The university can exit the partnership within five to seven years, per Ross Dellenger, and Utah holds the right to purchase Otro’s stake.

Even with those guardrails, though, there is risk in getting private equity involved in collegiate athletics.

Friday’s reduction in force was the first publicly visible sign of the impact of the new partnership. Even if a majority of those laid off are hired by Crimson Brand Partners as it goes through its hiring process, it will still be a nerve-racking time for the impacted employees.

As Utah continues to move forward with finalizing the private equity deal, there are a lot of eyes on the athletic department as it treads new ground in the college sports world.

“I can tell you that, directionally, we like 24. We’ve said that. The coaches voted unanimously for it yesterday,” Yormark said.

Last year, the Big 12 placed just one team in the College Football Playoff — Texas Tech, which lost 23-0 to Oregon in the quarterfinals after earning the No. 4 seed as the Big 12 champion.

An 11-2 BYU, whose two losses came to Texas Tech, was the second team out of the 12-team field, just behind Notre Dame.

Yormark took issue with the Cougars being left out of the College Football Playoff last season.

“I think in some respects we are disrespected. I think BYU should have made the CFP last year and there was a lot of debate around it, but I feel very strongly based on their résumé,” Yormark said.

“Just speaking again to BYU, they deserved to be in the CFP last year,” Yormark said later. “We didn’t complain. We accepted the decisions of the selection committee, but when you look back at their résumé, their strength of schedule, the strength of this conference, they were very deserving, but we’ll see what happens this year.”

Based on the final CFP rankings, the Big 12 would have had five teams in if the field was at 24 teams last season — Texas Tech, BYU, Utah, Arizona and Houston.

With a 24-team format, however, the Big 12 would be forced to give up its conference championship game.

“Our champ game is very valuable to us. In my opening comments, I spoke very highly of what we accomplished this past year,” Yormark said. “So we need to roll up our sleeves, do the work, understand the economics on it and what that means for a 24-team format and we’ll do that with our colleagues. I plan to be with the CFP, the management committee next month, and I think that’s when the work will begin.”

It’s unanimous: Big 12 football coaches favor a 24-team college football playoff in 2027

How Big 12 coaches feel about the state of the conference — and college basketball as a whole

Texas Tech really, really wants a shot at Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns

Another potential move for the Big 12 is the possibility of moving to 10 conference games in football and 20 conference games in basketball in order to “raise the profile, narrative and viewership of Big 12 football and basketball.”

The Big 12 introduced the concept of expanded conference play to coaches and athletic directors this week, and discussions are still very preliminary. Currently, the conference plays nine league games in football and 18 in basketball.

The possible additional inventory of conference games would make the Big 12 more attractive to media rights partners during the next round of negotiations. The Big 12’s current media rights deal with Fox and ESPN expires in January 2030.

“When you do an analysis of our ratings this past basketball season, our conference ratings are three times what the out-of-conference control games are for the Big 12,” Yormark said.

“So if you’re in the ratings game, you probably want more of the good stuff and grow it. That was the impetus of the discussion of can we go back to 20? In 2025, we had 20 games and then we went back this past year to 18. So it’s certainly something we need to consider as we think about how do we grow the Big 12 moving forward? How do we increase our ratings?”

Other topics Yormark addressed during the Big 12’s spring meetings

How much revenue will the Big 12 distribute to its members?

Yormark said the conference’s gross revenue is $710 million, a record-high for the league, and that the net distributable revenue to member schools will “exceed our projected per-school distributions,” but he does not have a total net number right now.

On having a hard cap for revenue sharing

“I can tell you I’m not in favor of any amnesty right now. With the House settlement, we all signed up for a hard cap and that obviously hasn’t panned out as well as we had thought. So when you think about the discussions we’ll be having moving forward, it’s going to be around the cap. It’ll be around cap circumvention, what’s permissible and not, and how do we come together and create a model that’s sustainable long term.”

On all of the Big 12’s schools signing onto the College Sports Commission participation agreement that binds schools to the House settlement rules

“Well, listen, for us, it means we want rules and enforcement. I can’t speak for the other conferences. I mean, obviously they all say they want rules and enforcement, but they haven’t signed their participation. So that’s probably a better question for them, but I can tell you having spent days with our board and ADs and our governance groups, the Big 12 wants rules and enforcements and we want to be a leader in that area. And I think signing the participation agreement certainly is indicative of that.”

On rules that can be put in place to curb tampering

“(NCAA president Charlie Baker) gave us an update on how they’re thinking about reforming some of the tampering rules and I think directionally we like where he’s going. He kind of laid that out for us. It’s got a bit of a pro model to it where there’s a contact period before the portal opens and all that needs to be worked through, but directionally we liked what we heard. And on the eligibility, everyone’s aware of the age-based eligibility idea that’s on the table and I think that’s going to pick up some momentum over the next month when the cabinet meets later in June. “

Have any of the teams accepted the RedBird private equity line of credit?

“I’m not aware of that just yet. As I said earlier in the week, that’s a multifaceted partnership and at the core is all about commercial development and driving revenue and value for our schools. Having access to capital is always a good thing and we look at that as a safety net for schools when and if they want to do it and they have a year to tap into it. And we all know things change in our ecosystem pretty quickly. And although they might not want it today, that might be different in six months or 12 months from now. So we’ll wait and see.”

A TikTok posted by Harper describing his morning routine drew attention online for the baseball star’s interesting toothpaste application.

In the video, Harper is going about his morning business during a San Diego road trip — washing his face, putting in his contacts and brushing his teeth. That was the moment that stood out from the otherwise mundane eight-minute video, as instead of squirting the toothpaste onto his toothbrush, he squirted it directly into his mouth.

@3ryceharper

Morning Yall ✌🏼

♬ original sound - Bryce Harper

That inspired a variety of reactions from the internet, from disgust to curiosity.

bryce harper with the most abominable toothpaste application i've ever seen pic.twitter.com/9tIVbyt6pU

— leif✨ (@yanksphiIs) May 25, 2026

The San Diego Padres jumbotron crew even got in on the fun as the Phillies visited Petco Park this week.

New fun fact about Bryce Harper from the Padres. pic.twitter.com/pcgaRfZ7Bq

— Ty Daubert (@TyDaubert) May 27, 2026

As for Harper, he brushed off — pun intended — any criticism.

“It kind of happens when you post a little bit, right?” Harper said, per Phillies Nation. “But yeah, I’ve done (the toothpaste application) forever.”

It brought more attention to his TikTok page, which has nearly 650,000 followers, so in the end, Harper is fine with the attention on his oral hygiene habits.

“I mean, it’s gone viral, so I’m happy about that,” Harper said. “It always helps with my videos when it goes viral, so if that’s what makes it go viral, then I’ll take it.”

This season, Harper is batting .266 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI. The Phillies regained control of a winning record with a sweep of the Padres, with Harper hitting a home run during the series.