Utah Utes football: 2024 recruiting class (+live updates, video)

The Utah Utes will add to their 2024 roster as the early signing period opens today, including signing some of the state of Utah’s top prospects.

Below is the list of official letter of intent signings for Utah.

Jeilani Davis, S

★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot-1, 190 pounds.

Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California).

• Ranked as the No. 34 player in the state of California by On3, Davis chose Utah over offers from USC, Colorado, UCLA, Arizona and Wisconsin, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 45 safety in the nation by On3.

• Forty-two tackles, five interceptions, five pass deflections and a forced fumble this season.

• “There were a lot of reasons why I chose Utah,” Davis told 247Sports’ Greg Biggins. “I really liked the realness of the program and the culture was unquestionable. Their hospitality and the way they welcomed me made me feel like family. I could feel the expectation of excellence and real love when talking to the players and coaching staff and I knew that was home.”

Zacharyus Williams, WR

★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot-2, 195 pounds.

Junipero Serra High School (San Mateo, California).

• Ranked as the No. 42 recruit from the state of California by 247Sports, Williams chose Utah over offers from USC, Washington, Florida State and UCLA, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 77 wide receiver nationally by 247Sports.

• Fifty-one receptions for 943 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

• “There were a lot of reasons why I chose Utah but the biggest was my relationship with the coaches and how much love I felt from them,” Williams told 247Sports’ Greg Biggins. “It’s a big family there and I really felt that on my visit.”

Kash Dillon, Edge

★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot-5, 220 pounds.

Corner Canyon High School (Draper, Utah).

• Ranked as the No. 6 player from the state of Utah by 247Sports, Dillon chose Utah over offers from Washington, BYU, Arizona and Arizona State, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 49 edge nationally by 247Sports.

• Thirty-five tackles, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles this season.

• Will join Corner Canyon teammates Isaiah Garcia (OT) and Isaac Wilson (QB) at Utah.

• “It being my dream school was part of it,” Dillon told Chad Simmons of On3. “Utah was always one of the top schools. I’m from Utah, my mom went there and I cheered for them growing up. I always saw myself there. I fit in under the coaching staff very well. Utah just felt the most like my high school, and it fit me and my personality.”

Isaac Wilson, QB

★★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot, 190 pounds.

Corner Canyon High School (Draper, Utah).

• Ranked as the No. 1 2024 recruit from the state of Utah by Rivals and On3, Wilson chose Utah over offers from Oregon, Miami, UCLA and BYU, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 13 quarterback in the nation by ESPN.

• Led Corner Canyon to a 2023 6A state championship by throwing for 4,595 yards, 49 touchdowns and nine interceptions on a 67% completion rate this season.

• Will join Corner Canyon teammates Isaiah Garcia (OT) and Kash Dillon (edge) at Utah.

• “I can’t wait to learn from Cam Rising. He’s been killing it. Getting up there early, that’s really been my focus because I get to see the difference between high school and college and their different aspects, but I’m just excited to learn from Cam Rising when I get up there,” Wilson told the Deseret News.

Hunter Andrews, LB

★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot-2, 215 pounds.

Magnolia High School (Magnolia, Texas).

• Ranked as the No. 75 player from the state of Texas by ESPN, Andrews chose Utah over offers from Texas A&M, Harvard, Nebraska, Army, Navy, Northwestern, Penn, Princeton, Stanford and Yale, among others.

• Primarily primarily played running back this season, rushing for 1,244 yards and 18 touchdowns, with a few plays at linebacker. Andrews committed to Utah as a linebacker.

• “I chose to be a linebacker because I felt I’d have a higher ceiling,” Andrews said, per Rob Tate of The Courier of Montgomery. “I think I could play running back at the college level, too. But just because of my build, I think I can become a really good linebacker.”

Luke Bryant, S

★★★ (247Sports rating, no composite rating).

6-foot-2, 195 pounds

Olympus High School (Salt Lake City, Utah).

• Ranked as the No. 25 player in the state of Utah by 247Sports, Bryant chose Utah over offers from BYU, Utah State, Air Force and Southern Utah.

• Ranked as the No. 182 safety nationally by 247Sports.

• 48 tackles, two interceptions and a pass deflection for Olympus this season.

Elijah Elliss, DL

6-foot-2, 200 pounds.

Layton Christian Academy (Layton, Utah).

• A signing day commitment, the son of Utah defensive tackles coach Luther Elliss flipped from Idaho to Utah on Dec. 20.

• Named to the Deseret News 2A All-State first team.

• Had 102 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and four sacks his senior year.

John Henry Daley, DE

6-foot-5, 225 pounds

BYU

• Played in three games in 2023, totaling three tackles.

• Returned from his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in 2023.

• Played at Lone Peak High School.

• Four seasons of eligibility remaining.

Isaiah Garcia, OT

★★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot-5, 280 pounds.

Corner Canyon High School (Draper, Utah).

• Ranked as the No. 1 2024 recruit from the state of Utah by 247Sports and ESPN, Garcia chose Utah over offers from Alabama, Oregon, Stanford, USC, UCLA and BYU, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 13 offensive tackle in the country by ESPN and ranked No. 120 nationally among all players by ESPN.

• At 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Garcia was instrumental on the line for the 6A state champions.

• Will join Corner Canyon teammates Isaac Wilson (QB) and Kash Dillon (edge) at Utah.

• “I think what set Utah apart, a big part of it, was (offensive line) coach Jim Harding, having him to be able to develop me as a player. You’ve seen his track record, people he’s put in the league,” Garcia said on his live commitment announcement on 247Sports’ YouTube channel.

Ashtin ‘Kana’i’ Kekahuna-Lopes, LB

★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot-3, 215 pounds.

St. John Bosco High School (Bellflower, California).

• Ranked as the No. 43 player from the state of California by Rivals, Kekahuna-Lopes chose Utah over offers from Washington, Boston College and Oregon State, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 64 safety nationally by Rivals.

• Forty-five tackles and a fumble recovery this season.

• “The biggest thing for me though was the development. That’s really important to me and I feel the coaches at Utah can develop me and help me become the best football player I can be,” Kekahuna-Lopes told 247Sports’ Greg Biggins.

Kenan Johnson, CB

6-foot-1, 183 pounds

Georgia Tech

• 11 games (eight starts), totaling 29 tackles, two forced fumbles, one interception, four pass deflections.

• Ranked as the No. 8 cornerback in the transfer portal by 247Sports.

• One season of eligibility remaining

Carsen Ryan, TE

6-foot-4, 255 pounds

UCLA

• 19 receptions for 287 yards over his two-year stint at UCLA.

• Played in all 12 games, starting eight, and had 13 receptions for 205 yards and three touchdowns in 2023.

• Six catches for 82 yards in his freshman season, but his year was cut short five games in due to injury.

• Two seasons of eligibility remaining.

• Played at American Fork High School.

LaTristan Thompson, CB

★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot, 180 pounds.

Mount Pleasant High School (Mount Pleasant, Texas).

• Ranked the No. 140 player in the state of Texas by On3, Thompson originally committed to Louisiana Tech before flipping his commitment to Utah on Dec. 10.

• Ranked as the No. 94 cornerback nationally by On3.

Maurice Evans, S

6-foot-2, 190 pounds.

Blinn College (Brenham, Texas).

• In two seasons at Blinn College, Evans totaled 76 tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

• Chose Utah over offers from Washington State, Costal Carolina, UMass and Memphis, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 5 junior college transfer safety by 247Sports.

• Two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Quimari Shemwell, CB

★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot, 175 pounds.

Long Beach Poly High School (Long Beach, California).

• Ranked the No. 85 player in the state of California by ESPN, Shemwell was committed to Arizona before flipping to Utah on Dec. 1.

• Ranked as the No. 114 cornerback nationally by ESPN.

• Thirty-eight tackles, four interceptions, 11 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one sack this season.

• “I like the coaching staff a lot and coach (Sharrieff) Shah’s resume is hard to pass up on. The proof is in the pudding and his track record for developing guys and getting them to the League (NFL) is phenomenal,” Shemwell told 247Sports’ Greg Biggins.

David Washington, WR

★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot, 185 pounds.

Arbor View High School (Las Vegas, Nevada).

• Ranked as the No. 2 2024 recruit from the state of Nevada by 247Sports, Washington chose Utah over offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas A&M, LSU, Miami and BYU, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 45 wide receiver nationally by ESPN.

• “The coaching staff being there for a while, the stability of the program, (Utah wide receivers) coach Alvis Whitted and what he has produced, those were all big things I looked at when making my decision. I know I can go there and be developed,” Washington told 247Sports’ Blair Angulo.

Sammie Hunter, CB

★★★ (247Sports composite).

5-foot-11, 175 pounds.

Chandler High School (Chandler, Arizona).

• Ranked the No. 12 player from the state of Arizona by On3, Hunter chose Utah over offers from Washington State, Iowa State and Hawaii, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 75 cornerback nationally by On3.

• Twenty tackles, one sack and two pass deflections this season.

• “Playing on the biggest stage is something that I really want and at Utah I know that’s something that I could do every year,” Hunter told 247Sports’ Blair Angulo. “They have won back-to-back Pac-12 championships and gotten to the Rose Bowl each of the last two years so that’s a huge stage. They win a lot of football games there, I love what coach Kyle Whittingham has done there and it’s a place where guys go to get developed. I’m not from the West Coast originally but I’ve fallen in love with it and this will be a short flight for my parents to come out and watch me play home games, too.”

Davis Andrews, S

★★★ (247Sports composite).

6-foot-2, 200 pounds.

American Fork High School (American Fork, Utah).

• Will serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before enrolling at Utah.

• Ranked as the No. 4 2024 recruit from the state of Utah by 247Sports and ESPN, Andrews chose Utah over offers from Note Dame, UCLA, BYU, Stanford and Tennessee, among others.

• Ranked as the No. 38 safety nationally by ESPN.

• Twenty-eight tackles, three interceptions and a sack in 2023 for American Fork.

• “They’re the best developing program in the nation I think, and that’s why I want to go there,” Andrews told 247Sports’ Blair Angulo.