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It’s apparent that the Minnesota Wild coaching staff does not trust 23-year-old center Marco Rossi. He averaged just over 11 minutes per game in the playoffs and was downgraded to the fourth line — and yet he still managed two goals and three points in six games.

But you know who does trust him? Utah Hockey Club head coach André Tourigny and assistant coach Mario Duhamel.

The trio of Rossi, Tourigny and Duhamel represented the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s from 2018-2020, during which time Rossi accomplished a 120-point season (despite only playing 56 games) and the team made a trip to the Ross Robertson Cup Final.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman hinted on Monday’s episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast that Rossi, a pending restricted free agent, could be on the move this summer. If that’s the case, Utah should take a long, hard look at him.

Where would Marco Rossi fit into Utah HC’s lineup?

Rossi makes sense in Utah for more reasons than just his connection to the coaching staff. His age and position are exactly what they need.

Logan Cooley will undoubtedly be the franchise’s permanent No. 1 center, but the No. 2 slot is up for grabs. Barrett Hayton handled that role well this season, but on a Stanley Cup-winning team, he’s probably a perfect No. 3.

Rossi is well on his way to proving himself as a second-line center, despite his limited usage in these playoffs. He scored 40 points last year, 60 this year and with three points in the playoffs, he’s showing that he doesn’t shrink with the physicality of the postseason.

He’s only 5-foot-9, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he plays: His game revolves around proximity to the net, where he picks up a lot of rebounds. That’s a playing style that transcends age, speed and strength — look at what 39-year-old Corey Perry is doing right now.

At age 23, Rossi can grow and develop with Utah’s similarly aged core. He could be a core piece for years to come.

What would it take for Utah HC to land Marco Rossi?

General manager Bill Armstrong hinted in his postseason press conference that he’s probably not going to sign any offer sheets this summer, so the only way to land the Austrian would be via trade.

It’s hard to imagine any UHC deal that doesn’t involve Matias Maccelli going the other way — and he might fit the Wild’s systems well. He played his best hockey on a line with big guys Nick Bjugstad and Lawson Crouse, but when their play dropped off, so did his.

The Wild have a number of giants who can put the puck in the net — they just need an elite playmaker to get them the puck.

Of course, Maccelli’s 18 points and dozens of healthy scratches this season won’t be enough to land a player like Rossi in a one-for-one swap, but it’s well-documented that Utah HC has too many young prospects to possibly be able to sign them all. Shipping one of them out with Maccelli wouldn’t make a dent in their cupboards and it might be enough to get the deal done.

For the sake of the individuals involved, the gold standard in a trade should be the one that sent Darcy Kuemper to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois. Both players were thought to be buyout candidates, but the change of scenery turned Kuemper into a Vezina Trophy finalist and allowed Dubois to set new career highs in a number of categories.

Maccelli is a proven top-tier playmaker who didn’t have a good fit this season. Rossi is an excellent player who has struggled to gain trust. A fresh start may be exactly what both players need.

Who are the 25 — or 27, including a couple of ties — most notable athletes in the state of Utah right now? And by notable, I mean some magical mix of outstanding, watchable, talented, impactful, important to their team or sport or fan base, famous, infamous, and/or popular. Go ahead and argue over it. The criteria indeed is vague, undefined and unspecific enough to make room for nearly anyone’s and everyone’s opinion.

If I missed somebody, or somebodies, forgive me — and debate me — for I know not that I have sinned.

Regardless, here’s my list, ranked in inverted order:

25. Connor Mantz. Mantz is a former BYU runner who during his college career won national championships in cross country. He then moved on to running marathons and other distance races. He finished first at the 2024 U.S. Olympic marathon trials, and set an American record at the 2025 Houston half marathon, breaking a mark that had stood for 18 years. At the recent Boston Marathon, Mantz ran the second-fastest time ever for an American on that course, finishing fourth overall.

24. Hunter Woodhall. An athlete who attended Syracuse High School, becoming a top track competitor there, going on to win medals in the men’s 400 meters at the Summer Paralympics, a bronze in 2020 and a gold in 2024. He’s won other medals at various world events. His story is remarkable, made that way in part by the fact that he had both of his legs amputated as an infant due to a condition that made that measure necessary. He runs on blades, runs fast on blades, and is an international star.

23. (tie) Isaiah Glasker and Lander Barton. The BYU and Utah linebackers are both stellar defenders for their respective teams, Glasker having been named an honorable mention All-American by Sports Illustrated for the 2024 season and Barton following in his brothers’ footsteps as a standout at Utah. Glasker led the Cougars in total tackles with 70, 42 of them unassisted, and Barton led the Utes with 72.

22. Chase Roberts. BYU’s 6-4, 210-pound receiver caught 52 passes in 2024 for 854 yards, four touchdowns, and a 16.4 average. A number of Roberts’ receptions came at pivotal moments on pivotal downs to keep pivotal drives alive last season, helping the Cougars to their 11-2 record. He’s appeared to be something of a security blanket for BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff, and is projected to play a huge role for the Cougars in the 2025 season.

21. Avery Neff. A highly-touted gymnastics recruit for the Utes, Neff battled through a freshman season, overcoming injuries, to help Utah get to the NCAA finals. And her future as a Ute looks even brighter, a name to keep an eye on in the seasons ahead.

20. Rob Wright III. The point guard caused a Big 12 storm when he transferred from Baylor to BYU after a freshman season when he averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists for the Bears. As for BYU, Wright will fill the hole left by Egor Demin, bound to be a first-round pick in the coming NBA draft. Wright seemed to indicate that BYU presented a better opportunity to prepare him for a future as a pro, which rankled some in the Baylor program that fairly regularly sends players to the NBA. Either way, the Cougars are happy to have him.

19. Keanu Tanuvasa. The former Utah defensive tackle also caused a stir when he recently announced his transfer to BYU for reasons that are his own, spanning from religious to connection to certain Cougar coaches to NIL money. This upset more than a few Utah fans and pleased BYU fans, all of which lifted Tanuvasa’s profile to a level that will command the attention of many college football fans inside and outside the state.

18. Isaiah Collier. A Jazz up-and-comer who would be more up-and-arrived if he knew how to shoot straight and play a little defense. He doesn’t — not yet, anyway — but in his rookie season he was a relative bright spot for a team that had committed the endeavor to 1) developing whatever talent it had that had not already established itself, and 2) losing games for draft positioning. Two points there — the Jazz were, in fact, lousy, and Collier did develop. Just not his shooting accuracy, not from distance. When he put up a 3-point shot, he made fewer than one in four of them. But the point guard can pass, he does that first, averaging 6.6 assists. He’s bound to get better in that regard, and in his shot attempts, the Jazz hope, if he’s given the opportunity to do so.

17. Delaney Gibb. BYU’s freshman guard did more than make a name for herself in her first college hoops season, she caught the attention of every opposing coach and nearly every opposing player, being voted the Big 12’s freshman of the year. She was the league’s freshman of the week 10 times, averaging 17.4 points, a BYU freshman record. She led the Cougars in scoring in 19 of 30 games, and in assists in 17 games. Her future is beyond promising.

16. Spencer Fano. If quarterback is the most important position on the football field, the guy who keeps him safe isn’t far behind. That’s why this 6-foot-6 lineman from Timpview is so important to Kyle Whittingham and the Utes as they look to rebound from a rough 2024. Fano has all of the size and skills to be a first-round NFL draft pick a year from now.

15. Lindsey Vonn. The 40-year-old alpine skier who lives in Park City came out of retirement this past season, becoming the oldest woman in her sport to podium in a World Cup race, finishing second in a Super-G event. The list of her accomplishments in skiing is exhaustive, including World Cup championships and an Olympic gold medal. She hopes to be a part of the U.S. Olympic team next year in Italy before easing off into the sunset, although she’ll continue to be an advocate for female athletes and their sports.

14. Tony Finau. The kid who used to hit golf balls in his garage into a mattress hung on the wall because of financial limitations is now 35 years old, a PGA Tour veteran. It’s been a while since Finau has made a splash on tour, what with just one top 10 finish thus far in 2025, but the SLC native is still followed by golf fans here. Finau has earned just shy of $45 million in official money. No telling how much he’s made off the course. Not bad.

13. Richie Saunders. Everybody around here, BYU basketball fan or not, is familiar with the whole Tater Tot sensation. Saunders, who was named an All-Big 12 player this past season, advancing his talents from his sophomore to junior year in a major way, became something of a darling during the NCAA Tournament, leading the Cougars to the Sweet 16 for the first time since Jimmer Fredette did that in 2011. In the midst of averaging 16.5 points, Saunders signed an NIL deal with Ore-Ida, the company that came up with the Tater Tot in the 1950s, a potato product that was in part conjured by Saunders’ great-grandfather, F. Nephi Griggs. It got to the point where a Tater Tot truck circled the Marriott Center, and the Cougars ate, as a part of their dietary protocol, the food item that was discovered as it was first made from leftover potato scraps at the Ore-Ida plant. Saunders recently announced he will return to BYU for his senior season.

12. Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley (tied). Guenther just turned 22 and has a promising future for Utah Hockey Club, having scored 27 goals and totaling 33 assists in 2024-25. The RW has a lightning-quick shot, which makes him difficult to defend and fun to watch. He signed an eight-year deal with UHC in September. Cooley is 20 and scored 25 goals last season for Utah Hockey Club. He’s in line for a big contract this summer.

11. Devon Dampier. There’s a chance this ranking might be a bit low for the new Utah quarterback, given his multifaceted skills — running and throwing — and, on the other hand, arm or foot, it might be too high, considering he’s never played a down for the Utes, having made his name in the Mountain West with the New Mexico Lobos last season before transferring. Either way, the spotlight will burn bright and hot on Dampier. The Utes badly need a quarterback who can lift an offense that needs lifting. That could be enough to jolt Utah football back to doing what it usually does, what it’s expected to do — win a whole lot more than it loses.

10. Clayton Keller. Utah Hockey Club’s captain and leading scorer during the 2024-25 season, the RW got 30 goals and 60 assists. Keller is an NHL All-Star, at the age of 26 and at a mere 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds. He already has hit the 500-point milestone, reaching that mark against Winnipeg at the Delta Center in April.

9. Jordan Clarkson. Here’s an athlete who in the later stages of his career has more charisma than most at any stage, and even after a season that was shortened by a foot injury, Clarkson stayed connected to fans. They just plain like the dude. His jersey outsells every other Jazz player. And his usefulness would be boosted if he played for a decent team that favored winning over development and tanking. He averaged 16.2 points in 2024-25, playing in just 37 games. His Filipino heritage on his mother’s side has made him a basketball sensation in that country.

8. Karel Vejmelka. The Czech goaltender was a pleasant surprise in the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season here, allowing 2.58 goals with a save percentage of .904. He was rewarded for that effort in March with a five-year contract, meaning he’ll likely be around for a while. Good goaltending is highly valued in the NHL, making goalies if not stars, centerpieces for any emerging or established team.

7. Walker Kessler. One thing the 7-foot Jazz center has proved is that he’s a valuable piece of his team’s future — unless, of course, the Jazz get a better offer in trade from another outfit. But Kessler had a fine most recent season, scoring 11.1 points per game, hauling 12.2 rebounds, blocking 2.4 shots, and passing for 1.7 assists. He also made 66.3 percent of his own shots.

6. Jake Retzlaff. Plays the most important position in all of team sports for BYU football, the quarterback having led the Cougars to their stellar 11-2 season in 2024, establishing them as a legitimate presence in the Big 12. It is said — believe it if you want — that had Retzlaff been healthier toward the end of the season, BYU might have won all of its games.

5. Ally Sentnor. She is a big fish in what some might see as a smaller pond. The No. 1 pick in the college draft a year ago, she lights up highlight-reel goals for the Utah Royals. Sentnor’s without question the most talented player in the franchise, and one of the best female players on God’s soccer-ball-kicking planet. She attempts all kinds of wild stuff as either a forward or midfielder out on the pitch and is a gas to watch.

4. Mikhail Sergachev. The man’s won two Stanley Cups, is the top defenseman on the Utah Hockey Club, was traded to Utah and might have brought a negative vibe along with him, but did the opposite, helping the Club at least contend for a playoff spot this past season. He kills penalties effectively and is what amounts to an unofficial quiet captain on a team that needs his kind of leadership.

3. Diego Luna. Real Salt Lake’s best player is taking off on the world stage, a 21-year-old MLS All-Star who’s willing to take risks to create a double-shot of excitement and excellence on the pitch. Not intimidated by either his young age or diminutive size, Luna is a brave player who’s tough to get the ball away from. He won’t outrace anyone in open space, but he can out-quick folks in the penalty box. Moreover, the player has some splash and panache to him, hanging out at Coachella, and brought in by Disney for a promotion for its Star Wars series “Andor” on account of an actor in said series who shares his same name. Apparently, there was room for two Diego Lunas on that stage. He’s the face of RSL.

2. Lauri Markkanen. He’s the frontline player on the Jazz, an NBA All-Star who would continue to advance his game even more if the Jazz turned him loose in an authentic effort to … you know, actually win games. Although pleasant, Markkanen blows nobody away with an outgoing personality, but he’s simply one of the best, if not the absolute best, pro athlete around these parts.

1. AJ Dybantsa. OK, this young guy is the country’s top basketball prospect. He hasn’t played a single game for BYU yet, but when an athlete is projected by respected analysts to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, an athlete who has looked as skilled and determined and promising as Dybantsa has in the prep ranks, as well as in assorted elite camps, and created this kind of buzz, he gets the nod for the top spot here. He’ll either prove to be an outrageous disappointment or, more likely, show everyone what he’s capable of doing and being. However it turns out, all eyes will be and are on him.

Note to readers • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.

The University of Utah has dipped into the Western Kentucky transfer portal well for the second time this week.

This time, five days after former Hilltopper guard Don McHenry committed to Utah, forward Babacar Faye signed with the Runnin’ Utes, according to 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer.

Several years before a band out of Provo, Utah, called Neon Trees burst onto the scene with the pop-rock song “Animal” and an up-and-coming group named Imagine Dragons had an EP release party at Provo’s Velour, a few guys in the neighboring city of Orem were recording demos in a closet.

Influenced by the grungy sound of Nirvana, their music was heavy and messy. It featured screamo-tinged melodies that explored with raw emotion themes like the cycle of addiction, feeling stuck and the desire to branch out and see the world.

The young musicians, who would eventually call themselves The Used, all had their sights on making it big.

“We all wanted to be on tour,” The Used lead singer Bert McCracken recently told the Deseret News. “That was like our life goal, just to be out on the road, to play Warped Tour, to play with anyone. Our driving force was just to be able to do what we do.”

But to do that, they had to start small.

And according to McCracken and Used bassist Jeph Howard, venues in Utah County weren’t ready for what they had to offer at the start of the millennium.

Following The Used’s first show, a 2001 gig at Johnny B’s Comedy Club in Provo, the band was “immediately asked to never come back again,” McCracken recalled.

“It was too rowdy,” Howard added. “We had people jumping off the balconies. … And I think somebody got his front teeth knocked out, too.”

The band played just a handful of shows in Utah before they were signed by Reprise Records. Each place they played was one and done.

“They just weren’t ready for heavy music anywhere in Utah County,” McCracken said. “It was still kind of frowned upon, and we were definitely ostracized for our style of music.”

They just weren’t ready for heavy music anywhere in Utah County. It was still kind of frowned upon, and we were definitely ostracized for our style of music.

—  The Used singer Bert McCracken

But even in those early days, amid the string of rejections from venues, the band saw fans begin to emerge, welcoming their sound.

“I think it was something brand new and something that had never been heard before, and people were excited,” McCracken said.

Now, as part of a 25th anniversary tour, The Used is returning to its Utah roots to do something that would’ve seemed impossible in those earliest days: play the same venue three times.

The band will perform Saturday, Monday and Tuesday at Salt Lake’s Union Event Center, each night playing through one of their first three albums.

Ahead of the shows, McCracken and Howard reflected on The Used’s rapid rise to fame — and how, even after more than two decades, Utah still holds a special place in their hearts.

A whirlwind year: From Utah County to the big time

As McCracken and Howard tell it, there wasn’t much of a music scene in Utah County back in 2000 — or at least one that was well-defined.

Any band that was a band would play together, sharing the stage to support each other. On any given night, a single show could have everything from ska to metal to pop punk.

“We were just all holding it together,” Howard said. “We weren’t really worried about having a genre. It was just, if you’re trying to hold on and play music, then we’ll work it out.”

With that kind of fluidity, Howard and McCracken — who were each in their own bands — were already aware of each other before The Used formed.

Howard was staying in a spare room at his mom’s apartment in Orem when The Used started composing music in a closet-turned-studio. In need of a vocalist, McCracken came to mind.

For the then-18-year-old singer, the opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time.

“I was at a pretty low point in my life, kind of sleeping around on friends’ couches and whatnot,” McCracken said, recalling how the band members clicked and they were able to quickly write the song “Maybe Memories.” “It’s kind of all uphill from there.”

The band later rented a house in Orem and turned yet another closet into a vocal booth where they could record a bunch of demos. During one recording session, as McCracken and Howard recalled with a surprising amount of fondness, a bat fluttered out and flew all over the house before Howard caught it in a Tupperware container and released it.

While venues close to home were skeptical of their sound, the band’s demos caught the attention of producer John Feldmann, the lead singer/guitarist of the ska band Goldfinger out in Los Angeles.

Roughly a year after forming, with only a handful of live shows to its name, The Used had signed to a label.

And they were ready for it.

‘We’ve never shied away from where we came from’

The Used had support from fans even in their earliest shows, but the musicians felt a major shift in momentum — a kind of lightning bolt moment that assured them the band would make it — when they played in Salt Lake City for the 2002 Warped Tour.

The band’s self-titled debut album had only been out for about a month. But to their delight, when the power went out on the small Volcom stage at Utah State Fairpark, fans in the crowd kept on singing their breakout hit “Taste of Ink.”

“I think right then I was like, ‘Wow, we really have something,’” McCracken said.

Although the music video for “The Taste of Ink” was filmed in Los Angeles, references to Utah are peppered throughout it — one woman wears a BYU shirt and a sign on a convenience store in the video reads “UtahCo, Utah’s finest snack.”

“We’ve never shied away from where we came from,” McCracken said. “It’s always been a bit of a point of pride for the band.”

We’ve never shied away from where we came from. It’s always been a bit of a point of pride for the band.

—  The Used singer Bert McCracken

The Used will perform “Taste of Ink”— and all of the songs on the self-titled album — Saturday night.

For McCracken and Howard, that debut record brings them back to those early days of trying to rise out of Utah County and make it as a band, the urge to get out and experience the world.

The band will play through its follow-up album, “In Love and Death,” Monday night. The 2004 offering came after they’d been touring for a bit, and had a little more control in and understanding of the music industry. The album was also heavily influenced by tragedy that hit close to home for McCracken.

The third album, McCracken and Howard only sort of joke, is how they can tell who their “hardcore fans” are.

“We kind of get a feel for who is in love with the first two records, and then we see who the hardcore fans are — they come out and sing ‘Lies for the Liars,’” McCracken said. “True hardcore fans are coming out and singing every word.”

“Lies for the Liars” marked somewhat of a stylistic departure from the band’s original sound — ”We wanted to make something very theatrical and almost Tim Burton-esque,” McCracken said.

“Throughout the years, the band has kind of taken on a new face, but at the same time, remained true to our origins,” the singer continued. “Twenty-five years later, we’re all completely different people, but I think in the writing sessions, we’re the same people. We like to open up about our problems and really capture something that makes sense for the time … which is not a lot different from when we wrote the self-titled.”

I think music and art itself has to evolve, and if it doesn’t, it’s kind of lying. If you’re not progressing and changing — even in a negative way — you’re sort of lying to yourself and lying to people.

—  The Used bassist Jeph Howard

“I think music and art itself has to evolve, and if it doesn’t, it’s kind of lying,” Howard added. “If you’re not progressing and changing — even in a negative way — you’re sort of lying to yourself and lying to people.”

A hometown show: ‘They’ve stuck by us since the beginning’

It’s been a little over a month since The Used kicked off the 25th anniversary tour.

While a three-night stint in each city may seem taxing, it has actually been somewhat of a welcome change for the band since the runtime of an album is roughly 20-30 minutes shorter than their regular set — something McCracken said he has been appreciating at his age.

McCracken and Howard have loved the fan response to the tour, including learning from fans and meet and greets about why a certain album resonates more than another.

“Each night is very different,” Howard said.

Playing through these albums in Utah, the home of their very first fans, gives The Used the chance to reflect on their humble start while also celebrating how far they’ve come over 25 years.

“Our fans are some of the most loyal in the world, and they’ve stuck by us since the beginning, and they’re the reason why our dreams have come true,” McCracken said. “So we’re just so humbled and so grateful for their love and support.”

A New York-based company that touts itself as the first designed “specifically for education savings accounts” was selected Friday afternoon to manage Utah’s $100 million school voucher program, the Utah Fits All Scholarship, which remains in operation after a judge last month ruled it was unconstitutional.

The company, called Odyssey, has a questionable track record stemming from its recent management of a similar voucher program in neighboring Idaho. That checkered past was cited before all but one of the 12 Utah state school board leaders present Friday signed off on an initial contract with the company.

The decision comes a little over a month after the state terminated its multiyear deal with The Alliance for Choice in Education (ACE), citing “convenience” as the official reason for parting ways with the program manager less than a year after formally launching Utah Fits All.

The new Odyssey agreement is set to begin May 16, according to the $9.7 million contract that the Utah State Board of Education approved. That’s a day after ACE officially steps down, according to board documents. Odyssey’s two-year contract will run through June 2027.

USBE officials said in a statement that they are now working on the transition process, which “includes determining the process for possibly transferring the use of the existing UFA website.”

ACE was invited to reapply but did not submit a bid, according to Deputy Superintendent Scott Jones. Just one other organization in addition to Odyssey responded to the state’s request for proposal, Jones said.

“We are excited to work with the State and Utah families in enabling access to personalized learning opportunities for students across the state,” Odyssey said in a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune on Friday.

The same company was hired in 2022 to oversee Idaho’s then-$50 million Empowering Parents microgrant program, the Idaho Education News reported.

After reports surfaced that Odyssey had reimbursed families for improper purchases — such as clothing, TVs, smart watches and household cleaning supplies — the Idaho state board launched an internal review in April 2023.

They determined that less than 1% of reimbursed purchases, totaling $180,000, were ineligible and ordered Odyssey to pay back the funds, which the company agreed to do.

Separately, in June 2023, Idaho’s Department of Administration found that Odyssey had earned and collected nearly $500,000 in interest from the Empowering Parents account, a breach of its contract. Odyssey also agreed to pay that back to the state.

Odyssey in an email late Friday asserted that when it first operated the program, the state of Idaho had asked it to be the trustee on the account, but later changed its mind.

Utah board members on Thursday expressed concern about whether Odyssey’s repayment situation could interfere with its new responsibilities in Utah.

Deputy Superintendent Scott Jones assured board members Friday that he had addressed their concerns with Odyssey and emailed the board its responses, but he did not publicly disclose what all had been discussed.

He said the state typically enters five-year contracts with vendors but noted Odyssey’s was approved for only two years with the option for renewal.

“The reason for that is because of the complexity of these programs,” Jones said. “And because we want to follow the legislative law, or intent, for the program.”

Utah Fits All most ‘complex’ school choice program in nation

In the Utah Fits All program’s first year, lawmakers allocated about $80 million toward it — enough to award $8,000 scholarships to 10,000 students.

Families could spend the funds on a range of “educational expenses,” including private school tuition, tutoring, homeschooling expenses and even entirely on extracurricular activities, such as violin or swim lessons.

About 80% of recipients for the program’s inaugural year (2024-25) were homeschoolers, which made managing reimbursements challenging, USBE member Cindy Davis said during an earlier meeting Thursday — and made for a far more complicated workload than other states.

“In other states, 80% of these reimbursements are payments to a private school,” Davis said. “Well, in this state, 80% of the reimbursements are thousands of little reimbursements that you have to vet and evaluate.”

Board Chair Matt Hymas agreed.

“It has been a nightmare,” Hymas said Thursday, ahead of the Friday vote. “The previous vendor was not ready for it. And I’ll tell you right now, I doubt that this current, this new vendor, will be. … I would love to see us get a vendor and then say, ‘Good luck.’”

Utah Fits All still faces legal challenges

To further complicate the situation, Odyssey’s management will come online as the constitutionality of Utah Fits All remains in legal limbo.

Third District Court Judge Laura Scott already ruled that the program was unconstitutional, and while the state plans to appeal, if a higher court upholds Scott’s ruling, Utah Fits All will be completely dissolved. Scott in the meantime agreed to allow the program to continue.

Her April 18 decision came almost a year after the Utah Education Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union, sued the state, alleging that the voucher program was an unconstitutional use of the state’s income tax dollars — which are reserved only for public education, higher education and services for people with disabilities.

“Why would any organization want to take over a program that was just declared unconstitutional?” USBE member Joseph Kerry asked Friday.

“I think that’s a question that’s better answered by the vendor,” Jones replied.

If Utah Fits All survives, major changes are ahead for the now-$100 million program after lawmakers boosted its funding by 25% during the 2025 legislative session.

There will be new limits on spending for certain extracurriculars — as well as varying scholarship amounts, depending on a student’s age and whether they are homeschooled.

Homeschoolers age 5-11 will receive a $4,000 scholarship, for example, and homeschoolers age 12-18 will qualify for $6,000. Students attending private schools still will receive the full $8,000, regardless of age.

This means the more than $100 million in taxpayer-backed scholarships — if allowed — could be spread across more recipients. Applications for the 2025-26 school year closed Thursday.

Clarification • May 2, 8:55 p.m.: This story has been updated to reflect that the $180,000 that Odyssey was ordered to pay back in Idaho amounted to less than 1% — rather than 1% — of reimbursed purchases. Context has also been added from Odyssey about the history of the Idaho interest dispute.

Note to readers • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.

Kyle Whittingham’s Utah program added a commitment at a position of need out of the transfer portal Friday.

Former LSU defensive tackle Dilan Battle announced his commitment to Utah early Friday morning.

Who is Dilan Battle?

Battle is a 6-foot-2, 313-pound defensive tackle out of Arlington, Texas, who played at Mansfield Timberview High.

He was rated a three-star prospect with an 87 grade in 247 Sports’ composite rankings as a member of the 2025 recruiting class, and the No. 76 defensive tackle recruit nationally.

Battle originally signed with LSU out of high school, picking the Tigers over an impressive list of offers that included Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Oregon and Texas A&M, among others, according to 247 Sports.

He spent the spring with LSU before hitting the transfer portal, and will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Battle was a high school teammate with Utah safety Nate Tilmon, a three-star recruit and another member of the Utes’ 2025 recruiting class.

How does Dilan Battle fit into Utah’s plans?

The Utes lost a pair of starters at defensive tackle this offseason, with Junior Tafuna exhausting his eligibility — he signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Houston Texans — and Keanu Tanuvasa transferring to BYU.

While sophomore Dallas Vakalahi and grad student Aliki Vimahi are back for Utah this season, the team needed to add depth and talent at the position.

The Utes’ 2025 class already included defensive tackles in Karson Kaufusi, who had a strong spring and stood out at the spring game, and Sione Motuapuaka; Battle adds another young prospect to the defensive tackles room.

He is the fourth transfer to commit to Utah since the spring transfer portal window opened, including cornerbacks JC Hart (formerly of Auburn) and Jaylen Moson (Furman) and wide receiver Larry Simmons (Southern Miss).