On Wednesday evening, Kessler himself took a somewhat uncommon step in this day and age, as he posted on Instagram essentially stating his desire to stay with the Jazz.

“I’ve seen what’s being said, and I want it to be clear that I have always wanted to be here — I love this city, these fans, my teammates, my coaches — that’s real to me. You don’t grow roots where you don’t want to be," Kessler wrote.

In the post, Kessler included seven photos of his time in Utah since being part of the trade that sent Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2022.

View this post on Instagram

The 24-year-old Kessler (he’ll turn 25 next month) just finished the final season of his rookie contract and earned just shy of $5 million. However, he can now sign a contract that is expected to pay him somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 million to $30 million per season.

This is where things have reached a standstill, according to multiple reports.

On Monday, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that Kessler “is at odds” with the Jazz front office because the team did not extend his contract last summer when it had the chance to.

Furthermore, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that Kessler has declined a contract offer of five years and $140 million ($28 million per year) from the Jazz.

From the Jazz’s perspective, there are only a handful of centers in the NBA who are making that much money, and they are among the best in the league at the position.

Kessler, while he has developed very well and is in line for a major pay raise, has career averages of 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists per game — not the numbers of the most elite big men in the NBA.

Additionally, Utah will be in a salary crunch soon, as it already has big money committed to Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., and should have another large salary committed in the coming years to Keyonte George if he continues on his upward trajectory.

From Kessler’s perspective, it’s understandable that a player and his agent want as big of a contract as possible. Plus, as the NBA’s salary cap continues to rise, big contracts won’t be as impactful to a team’s bottom line.

Additionally, Kessler has been known to be a hot commodity around the league, as teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers have been reported to be particularly fond of him, along with some others.

From a business perspective, if the Jazz and Kessler do not reach an agreement on a contract this summer, Kessler would have a few options.

Given that he is a restricted free agent, he could sign a contract offer sheet with another team and then the Jazz would have the choice to match it or let him leave to the team that signs him.

Kessler could also sign a qualifying offer (this would likely come close to the start of the season if it happens), which would be a one-year deal with the Jazz for next season, after which he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer, free to sign with any team and Utah would not have the right to match it.

To be clear, Kessler could also re-sign with the Jazz as an unrestricted free agent next summer, although the acrimony around the qualifying offer scenario make this option seemingly quite unlikely.

From a basketball perspective, Utah has seemed to be all-in on building a uniquely jumbo frontcourt with Markkanen, Jackson and Kessler, and losing Kessler would be a big blow to that idea.

Kessler played in just five games last season after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder early in the campaign. In those five games, the big man averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.8 blocks per contest.

Demichael Burks, a defensive back out of Desert Pines High in Las Vegas, announced his commitment to the Cougars as part of their 2027 recruiting class.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and in the neighborhood of 160 pounds depending on the website, Burks had been committed to Fresno State. He had posted on social media in early June that he took a visit to Fresno State and didn’t announce that he was de-committing from there before Monday’s announcement about BYU.

Burks posted on April 17 that he had received a scholarship offer from BYU, which is his lone Power Four offer, although he has a bunch of offers from schools at other levels.

Burks becomes the sixth high school prospect to be committed to the Cougars as part of their 2027 recruiting class. He is the second cornerback (joining Ryan Wooten out of New Jersey) and second from the Las Vegas area (joining running back Ezra Sanelivi).

Charania reported that former BYU star AJ Dybantsa has formally visited with both the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz — who own the first and second pick, respectively — while Peterson has only visited with the Wizards and doesn’t plan on visiting with the Jazz.

Developments ahead of the June 23-24 NBA draft: BYU's AJ Dybantsa has conducted formal visits with both the Washington Wizards (No. 1) and Utah Jazz (No. 2) while Kansas' Darryn Peterson only visited the Wizards and does not plan to grant anyone else a meeting, sources tell me…

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2026

To be clear, prospects are not obligated to visit with a team in order for that team to draft them. It has happened many, many times where a prospect has not visited or worked out for a certain team but was taken by that team anyway.

Nevertheless, Charania’s reporting is an interesting development because oftentimes the presumptive top pick will only work out for the team with the No. 1 pick, but Dybantsa is widely considered to be the front-runner to be chosen No. 1, not Peterson.

The curious case of Darryn Peterson

Will AJ Dybantsa go to the Wizards or the Jazz? Here’s what he said about each team

A look at Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson as potential No. 2 picks

It hasn’t always been this way. In the early days of the two players’ high school careers (Peterson is just 12 days older than Dybantsa), Dybantsa was widely considered the front-runner to go No. 1 this year, but Peterson surpassed him during their senior year heading into college.

As has been well-chronicled, however, Peterson was beset by strange injury issues during his lone season at Kansas, and that, combined with a fantastic season from Dybantsa, put the former Cougar back in the driver’s seat for No. 1 in many people’s eyes.

Lurking behind that duo is former Duke star forward Cameron Boozer, who also had a tremendous 2025-26 freshman season.

Former North Carolina star forward Caleb Wilson, who rose up draft boards more than any other player because of his stellar lone campaign as a Tar Heel, is widely considered to be the fourth-best prospect in the draft, followed by a glut of guards expected to be taken in some order after that.

Building off Charania’s reporting, veteran NBA draft reporter Krysten Peek reported Monday morning that Dybantsa’s father Ace told her that his son met with the Wizards last Friday and the Jazz on Saturday and that both meetings “went well.”

Ace Dybantsa told me both meetings with the Wizards and Jazz went well. AJ was in Washington Friday and Salt Lake City Saturday. https://t.co/8dg0B1HIzz

— Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) June 15, 2026

On Monday, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo also released an updated mock draft that still has Dybantsa going No. 1 to Washington and Peterson No. 2 to Utah, but he wrote, “Peterson has informed the Jazz that he plans to take no further team visits, signaling that he is comfortable with his position and prefers to hear his name called at No. 1 with Washington.

“He has made himself accessible to the Wizards, previously meeting with them in Los Angeles, and has conducted multiple on-court workouts in front of Washington’s decision-makers,” Woo continued. “Peterson wants to play point guard at the next level, but the presence of Trae Young in Washington is not viewed as an impediment.”

Later, Woo wrote, “Sources say Peterson’s medicals have not raised major concerns with teams, clearing the way for him to hear his name called as a top-two pick. He began the season as ESPN’s No. 1 prospect and is the most gifted offensive player in the class.

“While the season didn’t go according to plan at Kansas, where he dealt with serious cramping issues, he has always been viewed by teams as a strong candidate for the pick.”

On Friday, another such player — safety Darrod “Bug” Jacobs out of Memorial High in Port Arthur, Texas — announced his commitment to the Utes on social media as part of their quickly growing 2027 recruiting class.

10000% commitment pic.twitter.com/qhjFfMnkhF

— Darrod “BUG” Jacobs⭐️ (@WatchFor7) June 12, 2026

Listed at 6-foot-2 and in the neighborhood of 175 and 180 pounds depending on the website, Jacobs also holds scholarship offers from several other Big 12 schools, along with Pitt, Northwestern and a bunch from Group of Six programs.

UteZone’s Dan Sorensen reported on June 2 that Jacobs’ final three schools under consideration were Utah, Pitt and Northwestern, and the plan at that point was to announce his commitment on July 4.

The commitment of Jacobs brings the Utes’ total to nine high school prospects pledged to the program as part of the Class of 2027 and continues a hot run, as six of those have come this month, with five this week alone.

After getting a pledge from Sire Stewart out of Chandler, Arizona last Tuesday, on Sunday they got one from Damian Anyasodo out of Stockton, California.

Anyasodo announced his decision on social media.

Blessed to say I have committed to the university of utah! 🖤❤️ #goutes #AGTG pic.twitter.com/ijqfRzCS3F

— Damian Anyasodo🇳🇬 (@damian_anyasodo) June 8, 2026

Listed by multiple outlets at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, Anyasodo has flown somewhat under the radar, as Utah is the only Power Four school to have offered him a scholarship so far, although he has offers from several schools in both the Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences, particularly from San Diego State and Washington State.

In addition to becoming the second high school offensive line prospect to be committed to the Utes so far as part of their Class of 2027 group, he is the fifth high school prospect overall.

Seldom-used up to that point, Rose sparked the Utes to a 21-10 halftime lead, completing eight of 10 passes for 87 yards with two touchdowns.

The Temecula, California, native struggled in the second half as the Cougars came back and won 22-21 on a Will Ferrin field goal with four seconds left in a controversial finish, and Rose didn’t play again for the Utes because of an injury before transferring to UMass for the 2025 season.

Rose then started the 2025 season opener for UMass before being replaced by AJ Hairston, and in January he announced his intention to transfer again with one season of eligibility remaining.

Rose hasn’t announced anything further, but on Sunday, the official Utah Football Instagram account posted some video clips and photos of players working out, and the 6-foot-2, 212 pounder appeared in the post.

View this post on Instagram

KSL Sports’ Steve Bartle reported Sunday that the expectation was that there would be a more formal announcement of Rose’s return last week, but it never came.

In total during his college career, Rose has completed 71 of 124 passes for 581 yards with three touchdowns against five interceptions, and he has also rushed 38 times for 70 yards.

Rose rejoins a quarterback unit at Utah that now includes starter Devon Dampier, top backup Byrd Ficklin and true freshmen Kane Archer and Michael Johnson.

Exactly a year ago, on May 29, 2025, the criteria was changed, requiring just a .595 winning percentage, essentially paving the way for Leach to be inducted.

On Friday, On3’s Brett McMurphy reported that Leach’s name will be on the ballot for the Class of 2027, which will formally be announced Monday.

Here’s who spoke and what was said at Mike Leach’s memorial service

Leach famously attended BYU but did not play football there (he played rugby), but did get involved with the coaching staff led by the legendary LaVell Edwards.

Leach got his first formal college coaching job as an assistant at Cal Poly in 1987 after graduating from law school at Pepperdine in 1986, and climbed the coaching ladder from there.

He got his first college head coaching job at Texas Tech i

n 2000, and also led Washington State and later Mississippi State, where he was employed when he died.

Leach tallied a record of 158-106 with an innovative, pass-happy offense. Off the field, he became known for his wedding preparation advice and his thoughts on which old Pac-12 mascot would win in a fight, among an array of other subjects.

Hale put each team into one of 25 tiers (26 if you count Ohio State’s Julian Sayin being in a 1b tier by himself). Utah’s Devon Dampier is in Tier 3, BYU’s Bear Bachmeier is in Tier 5 and Utah State’s McCae Hillstead is in Tier 21.

Hale titled Tier 3 “The Sean Clifford Zone” referring to the former Penn State quarterback, and described it thusly: “Sean Clifford won 32 games as Penn State’s starter. He was nearly always somewhere between solid and quite good.

“Against teams that finished the year ranked, however, he was a woeful 4-11. This, of course, was the story for nearly every quarterback under James Franklin at Penn State, but it’s also true for a lot of others and this presents a delicate situation for schools like those Nittany Lions teams. They have legitimate national championship hopes. They have QBs good enough to get them close — but maybe not close enough.”

Of Dampier, Hale wrote, “Dampier faced just three teams that finished better than 7-6 last year. In those three games, he threw two TDs, three INTs and averaged just 5.6 yards per dropback.”

How a gesture and a conversation helped solidify Devon Dampier’s decision to return to Utah

BYU closes spring drills with Bachmeier taking big step forward

Former BYU QB McCae Hillstead is transferring to a familiar place

On a more positive note, Hale added, “Three quarterbacks finished last year with 34 or more touchdowns, 3,300 or more yards and six or fewer turnovers: Heisman Trophy winner (Fernando) Mendoza, top transfer target (Brendan) Sorsby and ... Dampier.”

Dampier is joined in Tier 3 by Georgia’s Gunner Stockton, Indiana’s Josh Hoover, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, Penn State’s Rocco Becht and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed behind eight others in higher tiers.

Hale used another former Penn State quarterback to title Tier 5, where he placed Bachmeier, calling it “The Christian Hackenburg Paradox.” Hale described how Hackenburg had a great freshman season but then largely fizzled out after that.

“The point is, true freshmen putting up impressive seasons is a rarity and it often portends greatness,” Hale wrote. “But not always. ... And so Tier 5: Three highly regarded QBs who looked, at times, like elite players as true freshmen in 2025 but whose miscues left at least a little room for concern over their future development.

“At least one — and maybe all three — of these QBs will be a first-round draft pick in 2028. But, it’s also possible there’s a Hackenberg in here, too.”

Of Bachmeier, Hale wrote, “In the past 20 years, just 19 Power 4/Power 5 QBs had 3,000 pass yards, 500 rush yards, 25 TDs and 10 or fewer turnovers in a season. Four won the Heisman. Three were runners-up and six became first-round draft picks. Another is Bachmeier, who did it as a true freshman.”

Bachmeier is in Tier 5 with Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Michigan’s Bryce Underwood (five quarterbacks are in Tier 4 separating Dampier and Bachmeier).

Hale titled Tier 21 “You could do a lot worse” and Hillstead is joined by 14 other quarterbacks.

At the top, Tier 1a consists of Miami’s Darian Mensah, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and Texas’ Arch Manning.

First, Bode Sparrow, the top prospect in the state of Utah in the class of 2027 released his final four last week, and the Cougars and Utes are joined by the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oregon Ducks.

Elite two-way player Bode Sparrow cuts his list to 4 schools and locks in final official visit

"These are the four I have the best relationships with and the ones I felt most comfortable at."

Intel: https://t.co/a0IYOULpJz pic.twitter.com/uAnDZzbA4T

— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) May 22, 2026

Listed by On3 at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Sparrow preps at Davis High and is widely considered to be a top-75 prospect in the entire country in the class of 2027.

He is being recruited as an athlete, with schools eyeing him as either a receiver or a safety.

Long considered an Oklahoma lean, Sparrow told On3’s Greg Biggins that he will visit there this weekend, Oregon the next, Utah the weekend after that and finally BYU the weekend of June 19.

Another top prospect from Utah in the Class of 2027, linebacker Krew Jones, has already committed to Oklahoma.

Oregon was the final add to Sparrow’s top four, as he cut Miami and Texas A&M.

“These are the four I have the best relationships with and the ones I felt most comfortable at,” Sparrow told Biggins. “I had some great options but these four are the ones I can really see myself at.”

Of BYU and Utah, Sparrow told Biggins, “I’ve been to both schools a lot and really like it there. I have a very strong comfort level and have known those coaches for a long time.

“I really like coach Scalley at Utah and think he’s going to do great things. With BYU, I like what they’re building and how they’re recruiting and I think Kalani Sitake is a great coach and someone I respect a lot. It’s going to be a very tough decision but I’m excited to play this out.”

Meanwhile, Rudnicki, the starting quarterback at Folsom High in California, has flown somewhat under the radar because he has mostly been the backup to former Bulldogs star Ryder Lyons, one of the best quarterbacks in the country in the Class of 2026 who signed with BYU (although Rudnicki did lead Folsom to a state championship last season after Lyons got hurt).

Despite that, Rudnicki has been a known commodity on the recruiting trail and on Sunday released a final three that includes the Cougars, Utes and nearby Cal Golden Bears.

Beyond blessed to be in this position!! Grateful for everyone who has helped me get to this point! pic.twitter.com/ZIpPFvYMg0

— Brody Rudnicki (@BrodyRudnicki) May 24, 2026

Listed by 247 Sports at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Rudnicki also holds scholarship offers from a number of schools in the Big 12 and Minnesota, along with a handful of others.

Before he officially released his final three, Rudnicki told On3’s Brandon Huffman last week that he will visit Utah the weekend of June 5, Cal the weekend after that and BYU the same weekend as Sparrow, June 19.

Rudnicki is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and told Huffman he plans on serving a mission prior to playing college ball.

“I’m ideally going to be making a commitment after my official visit or maybe before, depending on whether my family feels like we have all the information we need,” Rudnicki told Huffman.

Maa’imoa “Moa” Havili, a defensive lineman who preps at Utah’s Granger High, announced his pledge to the Cougars on social media Wednesday night.

I am blessed and proud to announce that I am committing to play football at BYU🤙‼️ #CougerNation #GoCougs🤙@BYUfootball @kalanifsitake @Pouha91 @GrangerFB_WVC @All_Poly_Sports @BrandonHuffman @GregBiggins pic.twitter.com/w6b778OSh2

— 3⭐️ Moa Havili (@MoaHavili) May 21, 2026

Listed at 6-foot-3 and just shy of 300 pounds, Havili didn’t have many scholarship offers until last week, according to a story from On3’s Greg Biggins, but he was fantastic in the presence of a bunch of college coaches at two showcase events in Utah last week and a bevy of scholarship offers from the likes of Alabama, Michigan and other Power Four programs followed.

But the only one of those offers that Havili publicly acknowledged on social media was the one from BYU exactly a week ago, with Havili writing, "After a great conversation with @kalanifsitake @Pouha91 I am blessed to have received an offer from BYU my dream school"

After a great conversation with @kalanifsitake @Pouha91 I am blessed to have received an offer from BYU my dream school ‼️#CougerNation @BYUfootball @BrandonHuffman @GregBiggins @GrangerFB_WVC @All_Poly_Sports pic.twitter.com/J4jr6BufYv

— 3⭐️ Moa Havili (@MoaHavili) May 14, 2026

“It’s crazy how fast it all happened for me,” Havili told Biggins. “I still can’t believe it but I prayed to God for this to happen and it’s really happening for me so I’m very grateful.”

Last fall for Granger, Havili tallied 102 tackles and 12 sacks, according to the Deseret News high school sports statistical database.

Havili becomes the fifth prospect to commit to the Cougars as part of their 2027 recruiting class.

On Friday evening in a joint press conference ahead of Game 3 of the Utah Mammoth’s first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights at the Delta Center league commissioner Gary Bettman and Mammoth owner Ryan Smith announced that the outdoor game will be played in the late afternoon/early evening on December 31.

In January, Bettman and Smith announced that Utah would be getting the Winter Classic — an outdoor game to be played at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah — and that the Mammoth would face the mighty Colorado Avalanche in it, but a date for the contest was not announced at that time.

“Some of it’ll be under the lights, and we think it’ll be very cool,” Bettman said Friday.

Added Smith: “December 31st is an awesome day to be able to do this. It’s also awesome because it’s Thursday afternoon, night and it’s New Year’s Eve, and so we have a lot planned.”

In January’s announcement, Smith said the Winter Classic would be part of a days long celebration in Salt Lake City, and he reiterated that notion on Friday.

He gave a reminder that there will be “a pretty special” concert at the Delta Center that night (details of that have not yet been announced), and that there will be other activities in conjunction with the Classic.

“Our hope is that this is a whole weekend, that this is a version of like an All-Star Game where we come in and we can program and activate our state and show our state off,” Smith said.

“So people come in, they ski, they do it all all weekend, so you can expect a weekend of full programming of events — sports, concerts, activities that will be pretty special, and we’re blown away to be able to kick it off with the Winter Classic."

The Winter Classic was started in 2008 and provides a chance for an NHL game to be played outside in a bigger venue — such as a football or baseball stadium — than NHL arenas are.

With the Mammoth as the NHL’s newest team — and one that is already thriving just two years into its Utah existence under Smith’s ownership — it made sense for the league to schedule a Winter Classic sooner rather than later in the Beehive State.

“Everything they’ve done — and you’ve heard me say this repeatedly — has exceeded our highest expectations,” Bettman said Friday of Ryan and Ashley Smith’s ownership of the Mammoth.

“If you want to know how to write a textbook on how to start a franchise in a community from scratch, nobody better than what Ryan and Ashley have been able to accomplish.”

On Thursday, the Cougars announced that longtime head men’s golf coach Bruce Brockbank is retiring at the end of this season after 34 seasons at the helm.

The Big 12 Championship will be held next week, followed by NCAA Regionals May 18-20 and the NCAA Championships May 29-June 3.

BYU is currently ranked No. 23 in the country.

Brockbank played for the Cougars in the late 1980s and became an assistant in 1988 before being elevated to head coach in 1992.

“It has been an absolute privilege to play on and coach the golf team at Brigham Young University, one of the finest universities in the country,” Brockbank said in a statement. “I’m grateful (former Cougars athletic director) Glen Tuckett and (former Cougars head men’s golf coach) Karl Tucker gave a young, inexperienced coach a chance to work with young people.

“The athletic administration, Cougar Club and friends of BYU golf have always provided us every opportunity to be successful. I’ve loved being a coach at BYU the last 34 years. I’ll forever be grateful for the players and the people I’ve worked with. They have truly blessed my life. I’m excited for the future of BYU Athletics and what athletic director Brian Santiago, his staff and their coaches will accomplish in the coming years. Go Cougars.”

To date, Brockbank has won seven conference championships, seven conference coach of the year awards and 25 NCAA regional appearances, and his teams have won 68 tournaments.

Several of his former players have gone on to play on the PGA Tour.

Brockbank is a member of the Utah Golf Hall of Fame and the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame.

“Bruce Brockbankhas made an incredible impact over his years at BYU and leaves a legacy that will long be remembered,” Santiago said in a statement. “Bruce is revered in the college golf world and has represented BYU with class and character as a remarkable ambassador for everything BYU stands for.

“He has been all in on BYU and has always done things the right way. We look forward to celebrating Bruce’s hall of fame career at the conclusion of the season.“

Brockbank’s replacement will be named after the conclusion of the season.

With Brockbank’s retirement, head women’s soccer coach Jennifer Rockwood will become the longest tenured Cougars head coach. She has been at the helm of that program for 31 seasons, the only head coach the team has ever had.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF will take on Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer action Wednesday night at America First Field in Sandy, Messi’s first time playing an MLS game in Utah since he joined Miami in 2023.

How to watch Messi and Inter Miami at Real Salt Lake

Major League Soccer matches are available exclusively on Apple TV. Separate from a full Apple TV subscription, a one-month subscription solely for MLS games is available for $12.99, but a 7-day free trial is also available.

The Apple TV app can be downloaded on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices or gaming consoles.

First kick for Wednesday’s match is set for 7:30 p.m. MT.

About Inter Miami and Real Salt Lake

Inter Miami enters Wednesday’s match second in MLS’ Eastern Conference in the early part of the season behind only Nashville SC.

Real Salt Lake is in a three-way tie for third in the Western Conference.

On Tuesday, West High quarterback Kamden Lopati committed to the Wolverines as part of their 2027 recruiting class.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, a Michigan graduate, broke the news on social media.

Michigan now has received its first notable QB commitment of the Kyle Whittingham era, as four-star Kamden Lopati has pledged to the Wolverines for the 2027 season. The 6-3, 220-pound prospect is rated among the top 10 quarterbacks in this recruiting cycle. pic.twitter.com/ph5PpeUcus

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 14, 2026

Lopati’s commitment to the Wolverines marks a big, albeit not entirely unexpected change in his recruiting process. Lopati committed to Illinois in July of 2025, which was seen at the time as a somewhat random move, as Illinois has not historically had a recruiting presence in the Utah high school football recruiting scene.

Lopati stayed true to his commitment for several months but has continued to receive scholarship offers and interest from top tier programs around the country.

On Monday, On3’s Hayes Fawcett reported that Lopati had decommitted from Illinois, which came on the heels of a visit to Michigan last weekend.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Lopati is widely considered a top 10 quarterback prospect in the country in the Class of 2027. According to the Deseret News high school sports statistical database, Lopati has thrown for 5,807 yards with 59 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in his prep career thus far with a season to go.

While Michigan has taken seven players from Beehive State schools via the transfer portal since Whittingham left the Utah Utes for there in December, Lopati is the first prospect from the high school ranks from the state to commit to the Wolverines since then.

That number may well grow in the coming months, as several top Class of 2027 prospects from the state have scholarship offers from the school.

That streak was finally snapped last weekend, as the Red Rocks failed to make it out of their regional. That — combined with early-season struggles before they rebounded down the stretch before falling short — left some on the somewhat infamous “gymternet” saying that Utah athletic director Mark Harlan should at least consider firing head coach Carly Dockendorf.

On Thursday, however, essentially the opposite happened, as the university announced it had extended Dockendorf’s contract through 2031.

It’s a four-year extension for Dockendorf, who still has more than a year left on the deal she signed when she was first hired as the Red Rocks’ head coach in December 2023.

“Carly Dockendorf has done a tremendous job leading our gymnastics program in her first three years as head coach,” Harlan said in a statement. “She has developed her student-athletes, created a strong culture, and established her vision for the future of the Red Rocks program.

“The student-athletes in her program represent the University of Utah and the athletics department in exemplary fashion in the community, while achieving excellence in competition and the classroom. I’m thrilled to extend her contract through 2031.”

49-year streak snapped: Utah gymnastics fails to advance to nationals

Said Dockendorf in a statement: “Thank you to Mark and the University of Utah for their continued belief in my vision for this program. My family and I feel so grateful to be part of a university that supports women’s gymnastics at the highest level and prioritizes a holistic approach to winning championships, while also developing the next generation of powerful women.

“What makes this university so special are the people who are here; the women on this team, the staff, the administration, and the community of people who continue to invest in the Red Rocks at every level.”

Although Dockendorf was the coach the season Utah’s illustrious streak was snapped, there have been positives during her time at the helm of the program.

Most notably, the Red Rocks have won three straight conference titles, and Dockendorf is the only head coach in NCAA gymnastics history to lead her team to the NCAA Finals in each of her first two seasons as a head coach.

A native of Canada, Dockendorf has been on Utah’s staff since 2018. She was a volunteer assistant coach for one season, then became the director of recruiting and player development for a season.

She was then elevated to assistant coach, a role she held from 2020-22 before being promoted to associate head coach for the 2023 season under Tom Farden.

In late November 2023, Utah and Farden parted ways amid allegations that Farden verbally and emotionally abused gymnasts.

On Tuesday, 247 Sports’ Travis Branham reported that BYU — along with Michigan, Louisville, Duke and St. John’s — “will be teams to monitor” for the services of Kansas transfer big man Flory Bidunga.

Most outlets that have released lists of top players in the portal have Bidunga ranked No. 1. Bidunga has also declared for the 2026 NBA draft so he can test those waters, though the chances of him returning to college are high, as he is considered a second-round draft prospect.

Branham added that the other four schools in the running “all sound as though they will be in aggressive pursuit of the top transfer” but he did not include BYU in that list.

He also mentioned that Auburn could get involved.

Later Tuesday, multiple outlets reported Bidunga will visit Louisville this week.

Listed at 6-foot-10 and 235 pounds, Bidunga hails from the Congo. He moved to the United States when he was 15 and played high school basketball in Indiana, where he was a top-20 prospect in the Class of 2024.

Reports: BYU’s Robert Wright III plans to enter transfer portal

Who could BYU basketball coach Kevin Young target in the transfer portal?

Utah men’s college basketball transfer portal tracker

He was mostly used as a key reserve during his freshman season, but as a sophomore he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-Big 12 First Team selection.

He finished in the top five in the country in blocks and blocks per game and was 10th nationally in field goal percentage. He started 34 of Kansas’ 35 games and averaged 13.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per contest.

Against BYU on Jan. 31 he tallied a season-high four assists to go along with 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks as the Jayhawks won, 90-82.

Bidunga would bring a high level of talent to a position of great need for the Cougars. They were already thin up front during the 2025-26 season as Keba Keita battled injury and other big men were inconsistent or unproductive, and they stand to be even thinner heading into next season as Keita is out of eligibility and seldom-used Xavion Staton has already announced his intention to transfer.

BYU, as has been well-chronicled, entered the 2025-26 season with incredibly high hopes and were delivering on those hopes the first half of the season before largely crumbling down the stretch and losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Utah men’s college basketball transfer portal tracker

So how are prognosticators feeling about a 2026-27 Cougars team that will almost surely be losing its two best players from this season in AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders, as well as starting center Keba Keita?

Seldom-used big man Xavion Staton has already announced his intention to transfer.

Eleven national outlets released way-too-early rankings either late Monday after the title game or on Tuesday. Of those, seven have BYU in their top-25 rankings and four do not.

Longtime college basketball analyst Seth Davis’ rankings have the Cougars at No. 13, while Jon Rothstein has them sneaking in at No. 25. The remaining five have BYU ranked between No. 15 and No. 22.

Some of the various publications have written blurbs about each team ranked, while others just have teams listed or notes about projected rotations.

AJ Dybantsa’s possible return to BYU will be a ‘life’ decision

Like several publications, Davis highlighted incoming elite freshman Bruce Branch III as a reason to be excited about the Cougars next season, writing “Branch is not quite as good as Dybantsa, but he is a one-and-done talent who will make an instant impact.”

Others noted question marks about point guard Robert Wright III potentially departing and the need for BYU to get better in the frontcourt.

Wrote Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller, “... if Robert Wright III comes back to join third-generation forces with Bruce Branch III, the Cougars should still be in darn good shape.”

Here’s a rundown of where all 11 publications have BYU ranked:

• Seth Davis — 13
• USA Today — 15
• Bleacher Report — 18
• FOX Sports — 20
• ESPN — 22
• On3 — 22
• Jon Rothstein — 25
• The Athletic — unranked
• Sports Illustrated — unranked
• Sporting News — unranked
• Yahoo — unranked

On Sunday, the UCLA Bruins ran past the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51 to win the NCAA women’s basketball national championship, and Kneepkens played a big role.

The senior transfer started and played 26 minutes, scoring 15 points to go along with four assists, a rebound, a steal and a block as the Bruins seized control early and never looked back in the rout.

Kneepkens scored the second-most points of any player Sunday, behind only teammate Gabriela Jaquez.

Her performance capped a fantastic senior season for Kneepkens after she transferred to UCLA last spring. The native of Duluth, Minnesota appeared in 37 of the Bruins’ 38 games with 36 starts and averaged 12.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per contest.

The 2025-26 campaign came after Kneepkens starred for three seasons as a Ute after an illustrious high school career (she missed most of her junior year at Utah because of injury). In all, Kneepkens finished her collegiate career averaging 14.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a steal per game.

The 6-foot Kneepkens will now turn her attention to the 2026 WNBA Draft to be held next Monday, where she is widely projected to be a top 10 pick overall.

That has indeed happened.

On Friday, Weber State announced that it has hired Kaleb Canales to be the next head coach of the program.

By all measures, it’s a home run hire. Canales, 47, was an NBA assistant coach from 2008-23, including a stint as the Portland Trail Blazers’ interim head coach just before Lillard arrived there in 2012.

Canales was with Portland from 2008-13 and then had stops with four other NBA teams. During that time, he was also a candidate for several head coaching jobs in the league.

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Canales also has experience at the collegiate level, as he was the associate head coach at Troy this last season.

“I’m very excited to welcome K to the Weber State family,” Lillard said in a statement. “A major change like this is hard for me as someone so connected to the program through (former) coach (Randy) Rahe and coach Duft’s tenure. As GM, my goal is to help build the program to a high level, and someone with coaching experience at all levels, like Kaleb, is perfect for that.”

Said Canales in a statement: “I am truly honored and humbled to be named the head coach of Weber State men’s basketball. We will build a culture that is connected on both ends of the floor, connected in the classroom, and connected to the community. This is a program with a proud tradition, a world-class institution, and a passionate fan base. I’m ready to get to work.”

On Monday, Mountain Ridge athlete Tytan DeJong announced his commitment to the Cougars on social media.

First, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and my family for giving me the opportunity to be the person and player that I am today. That being said after lots of thought and prayer I am excited to announce my commitment to BYU!!
GO COUGARS!!🔵⚪️
AGTG!!!@BYUfootball pic.twitter.com/kViFmtqw9U

— Tytan DeJong (@Tytan_Dejong08) March 30, 2026

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, DeJong plays tight end and outside linebacker for Mountain Ridge.

As a junior in 2025, he tallied 1,057 receiving yards with nine touchdowns on offense and 30 tackles and two interceptions on defense.

For his efforts, he received First Team All-State honors from the Deseret News.

According to 247 Sports, DeJong also holds scholarship offers from Utah, Michigan, Stanford, Cal and Purdue, along with several other Group of Five schools in the West.