Utah News

With the 2026 NFL Draft right around the corner, it’s not hard to find mock drafts and positional rankings floating around the internet.

As such, we’ve created a similar list of our own and ranked the top Utah prospects expected to be drafted over the coming weekend.

Let’s take a look at the top four Utes who should be picked during the draft, which is set for April 23-25.

1. Spencer Fano

The Spanish Fork, Utah, native has been widely regarded as the Utes’ top 2026 prospect for almost a year now. Fano’s highly-efficient 2025 campaign, in which he didn’t allow a single sack across 350 pass blocking opportunities and was hailed as a consensus All-America and the Outland Trophy recipient, only strengthened his case for being a high draft pick.

The notion that Fano could move inside to play guard or center at the next level has added some intrigue to his NFL profile as well, and will likely lead to him being one of the first offensive lineman on the board on Thursday.

2. Caleb Lomu

Like Fano, Lomu didn’t allow a sack from his left tackle post this past season. The Arizona native also graded out as one of the top tackle prospects at the scouting combine, where Lomu finished No. 3 in production score, No. 4 in overall score and No. 5 in athleticism (Fano came in at No. 1 in all three categories).

Perhaps the only things keeping him from being talked about as a potential top-10 pick are his experience level (two-year starter in the Big 12, which isn’t known for elite pass-rushers) and how he handles power rushers at the next level as a taller, upright tackle.

3. Dallen Bentley

Bentley will probably have to wait until after the first day of the draft for his name to be called, given all the tight end talent in this year’s draft with Kenyon Sadiq and Eli Stowers leading the way. Still, the former Snow College product graded out as the fifth-most athletic tight end at the combine after posting a 4.62 time in the 40-yard dash, pairing nicely with the career-year he had with the Utes in 2025 (48 catches, 620 yards and six touchdowns). His route-running leaves room for growth, though his toughness and frame (6-foot-4, 253 pounds) are two qualities that’ll help him get picked over the weekend.

4. Logan Fano

If both Fano brothers hear their name called during the draft, it’ll likely be because a team picking in the later rounds liked Logan’s size, strength and ability to defend the run off the edge. His pass-rush game probably needs some refinement, though Logan’s toughness and quickness could help set the foundation for a nice career at the pro level.

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The University of Utah has its signature piece of its 2026 recruiting class, and it is coming from overseas.

Draft Express’s Jonathan Givony reported Monday morning that Israeli-Danish point guard Noam Yaacov has committed to the Runnin’ Utes.

Who is Noam Yaacov?

The 6-foot-2 Yaacov is a 21-year-old with several years of pro experience, most recently with Filou Oostende of the BNXT League, a first-tier league in Belgium and the Netherlands.

In addition to committing to Utah, Yaacov will go through the NBA draft process, Givony reported.

Yaacov is a rising star in the game, having won BNXT League Player of the Month honors in March, when he averaged 20.4 points, 7.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game, while making an average of 2.6 3-pointers per contest.

During the 2025-26 season, he is averaging 17.9 points, 5.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field, 40.3% from 3-point range and 77.4% from the free-throw line.

How does Noam Yaacov fit into Utah’s plans for the 2026-27 season?

Yaacov is the kind of dynamic guard that Utah coach Alex Jensen and his staff can build their roster and game philosophy around.

He is the fifth recent addition to Utah’s upcoming roster, along with four transfers in former Utah Valley wing Jackson Holcombe, former Ohio State combo guard Taison Chatman, former Weber State big Malek Gomma and former Wright State point guard TJ Burch.

With Yaacov and Burch, the Utes’ point guard depth is in place — that was the position of greatest need for Utah in the offseason after seeing Terrence Brown hit the transfer portal.

Not only does Yaacov bring the ability to create his own shots, he can also help facilitate and connect a group that, on the surface at least, appears well-balanced.

With Yaacov’s commitment, Utah can focus on bringing together the final piece or two of its 2025-26 roster and building for the future.

It looks like Lauri Markkanen already has a plan in place for how the next few months of his offseason will go while away from the Utah Jazz.

And compared to some of his past summers while being with the Jazz, things don’t appear to be looking much different from the norm.

Deseret News‘ Sarah Todd reported in a recent breakdown of the Jazz’s summer plans that Markkanen will be in the market for the next few months before taking a brief trip to Finland for the World Cup qualifiers.

“First up is Lauri Markkanen, who will be in-market until his kids are out of school, then he plans to go back to Finland and play for the Finnish national team in 2027 World Cup qualifying games. Those matches will be in the first week of July.”

Lauri Markkanen to Take Offseason Visit to Finland

Like last offseason, Markkanen would go overseas to play for the Finland national team, but instead of the World Cup, would compete in the EuroBasket tournament.

That tourney would be one in which the country and their national team would actually reach historic heights in by finishing in fourth place overall behind Germany, Turkey, and Greece; the best the team had ever accomplished.

This offseason, Markkanen will be with Finland again. Though the World Cup and their qualifiers are a bit of a different stage, the overarching process of going overseas to put on a Finnish uniform remains the same.

Markkanen still remains the only national player on the Finnish roster to have any NBA experience, considering he’s only one of two players in the country’s history to ever make it to the pros within the states.

So, any time that Markkanen has while on the Finnish national team is bound to be a vastly different experience from what the NBA provides. Yet, that lack of league experience hasn’t stopped him and the country from making their mark as one of the rising powers among the global basketball stage.

It also remains to be seen if any other players on the Jazz will decide to take a trip to Finland like last offseason.

In the summer of 2025, it would be Keyonte George as the one on Utah’s roster taking the trek over the pond to spend a few days in Finland, both to work out with the Jazz All-Star to build a bit of added chemistry, but also to get a glimpse of Markkanen’s hometown and the way of life in another country.

That visit was previously said to have a notably positive impact on the dynamic between both George and Markkanen. So in turn, perhaps that sets the stage for a similar opportunity to arise this summer in an effort to keep the ball rolling on the Jazz’s goals for next season.

Therefore, maybe George or another familiar face will take on a similar endeavor this offseason, but nonetheless, it all should set up for everyone around the Jazz roster to have a much-improved 2026-27 season ahead.

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The Utah Mammoth’s first taste of playoff hockey delivered everything it promised—speed, chaos, physicality—and then ended in a gut punch.

The Vegas Golden Knights rallied from multiple deficits to defeat Utah 4–2 on Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round series, flipping what felt like a tightly controlled debut into a third-period collapse for the visitors.

Vegas, now unbeaten in regulation in its recent stretch under head coach John Tortorella (8-0-1), once again leaned on relentless pressure and depth scoring to overwhelm Utah late. Colton Sissons led the charge with a goal and an assist, while Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev also found the back of the net. Carter Hart turned aside 32 shots, and Noah Hanifin chipped in two assists from the blue line.

For Utah, Logan Cooley and Kevin Stenlund provided the offense, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 27 shots in a game that featured momentum swings, heavy contact, and a simmering edge that boiled over several times—including a post-buzzer altercation.

Utah didn’t just show up—they struck first, and nearly carried that energy into intermission.

Former Golden Knight Nate Schmidt threaded a perfect cross-ice feed to Logan Cooley, who buried a one-timer from the right circle with just 11 seconds left in the opening period. It was the kind of moment that briefly quieted the building and hinted at a dream start for the league’s newest postseason entrant.

The second period, however, belonged to chaos.

Sissons tied the game at 3:44, jamming home a rebound off a Cole Smith feed. Utah responded quickly, reclaiming the lead when a strange sequence near the crease ended with the puck deflecting into the net off a Vegas miscue, officially credited to Kevin Stenlund.

But that edge was fragile.

The Golden Knights’ response came in waves—and with force.

Mark Stone evened things up on the power play, hammering home a rebound at 5:33 of the third period. From there, the tone of the game shifted entirely. Vegas tilted the ice, leaned on Utah’s defensive zone mistakes, and eventually broke through again when a turnover by MacKenzie Weegar led to a decisive go-ahead goal off a Noah Hanifin shot, finished by Sissons’ presence around the puck.

Ivan Barbashev sealed it with an empty-net goal, putting a punctuation mark on a night where Vegas simply refused to fade.

Utah, meanwhile, was left to absorb the reality of playoff margins—small mistakes, magnified instantly.

The series continues Tuesday night back in Las Vegas, where Utah will try to reset before the moment starts feeling even heavier.

Hotel management company Stonebridge is set to oversee operations at a Kimpton hotel currently being constructed in central Salt Lake City, Utah, US.

Developed by The Domain Companies, the hotel is scheduled to welcome guests in early 2028.

It will include 216 rooms across ten storeys and will house two separate dining venues, including one rooftop option.

Guests will also have access to meeting spaces totalling 7,000ft², with facilities such as a ballroom, boardroom and pre-function areas.

Amenities will include a fitness centre, valet parking services and terraces designed for both indoor and outdoor gatherings throughout the year.

The hotel’s location places it within ten minutes’ walking distance of the Delta Center, Pioneer Park and City Creek.

Commuters will be able to reach Salt Lake City International Airport in 15 minutes.

The Domain Companies co-CEO Matt Schwartz said: “We are grateful to be partnering with Stonebridge, which brings deep expertise in operating luxury and lifestyle hotels with expansive food and beverage programmes.

“This project will provide downtown Salt Lake City with a world-class hotel experience that will set a new standard for hospitality in the market.”

Stonebridge CEO Rob Smith said: “This location, with its level of design, food and beverage activation, and brand backing, positions a Kimpton to outperform its competitive set.

“Our focus will be on building a ramp-up strategy that maximises rate, drives premium demand segmentation, and delivers long-term returns for ownership.”

Last month, Kimpton Era Midtown New York opened in Manhattan, US, expanding the brand’s presence in the city.

Developed and managed by Extell Development, the 33-storey property represents the company’s first directly operated hotel project.

“Stonebridge to oversee new Kimpton hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah” was originally created and published by Hotel Management Network, a GlobalData owned brand.

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Utah Mammoth, 4-2, in Round 1 Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena and The Sporting Tribune’s RJ Forbus was there to capture the following TST Images.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Vegas Golden Knights G Carter Hart (79) celebrates with his teammates after defeating the Utah Mammoth in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Vegas Golden Knights F Colton Sissons (10) celebrates with his teammate F Cole Smith (22) after scoring a goal against the Utah Mammoth during Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Vegas Golden Knights F Nic Dowd (26) bleeds from his forehead after being high sticked by Utah Mammoth F Logan Cooley (92) during Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Vegas Golden Knights F Mark Stone (61) high fives his teammate F Tomas Hertl (48) after scoring a goal against the Utah Mammoth during Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Utah Mammoth D Sean Durzi (50) yells at Vegas Golden Knights D Rasmus Andersson (4) during a scrum at Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Vegas Golden Knights F Nic Dowd (26) roars after he scores the go-ahead goal against the Utah Mammoth in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Vegas Golden Knights F Ivan Barbashev (49) reacts after he scores an empty net goal against the Utah Mammoth during Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Multiple players for the Vegas Golden Knights react after a scrum with the Utah Mammoth during Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Vegas Golden Knights F Brett Howden (21) jumps past Utah Mammoth F Kailer Yamamoto (56) while chasing a puck during Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RJ Forbus – The Sporting Tribune

Vegas Golden Knights F Brett Howden (21) watches for the puck after a face-off during Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs against the Utah Mammoth on Sunday, April 19, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RIVERTON, Utah (AP) — When a dozen Republican activists gathered on a back deck in the Salt Lake City suburbs to talk about this year’s elections, the conversation cycled through all the staples of conservative chatter in Utah such as dwindling water supplies, illegal immigrant fraud and chemtrail conspiracy theories.

But Doug Fiefia, a state representative running to be a state senator, wanted to start with something else — artificial intelligence. Fiefia used to work at Google and, like several other tech employees who have gone into politics, he has made regulating the industry a centerpiece of his campaign.

“I know it sounds like ‘Doug, this is all you talk about,”’ Fiefia said. “That’s because it’s coming, it’s here and it’s going to be our biggest fight.”

Fiefia’s focus has put him on a collision course with President Donald Trump’s administration, which this year helped block his state proposal requiring companies to include child safety protocols. The White House wants a single national standard for artificial intelligence, arguing that a patchwork of excessive regulation could handicap American innovation in a global competition with China.

But with no progress in Congress, it has been state lawmakers struggling to address concerns about a technology that is poised to reshape the economy. In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis added the issue to a special legislative session that he is convening later this month. Democratic-controlled New York last year required major AI developers to report dangerous incidents to the state.

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All told, there are more than 1,000 state legislative proposals addressing AI, a reflection of the uneasiness that has seeped through the country.

“None of us are really sure,” said Brett Young, a structural engineer who attended the backyard event with Fiefia. “Is this something we should be scared about, or is it no so big a deal and it’ll enhance our lives?”

Pressure in the states

Trump has routinely tried to stamp out state-level AI policies, and he issued an executive order that included legal threats and funding penalties to deter new regulations.

The White House recently released a framework for potential congressional legislation that calls for preempting state laws considered “too burdensome” but would allow some rules to protect children and copyright material.

None of these steps has eased the number of proposals in state capitals. Popular ideas include forcing chatbots to remind users they are not human and barring the use of AI to make nonconsensual pornography, which includes replacing or removing clothing from photos that are posted online.

“There’s a lot of state lawmakers looking at what the federal government is doing and saying, ‘We want to take action because we’re not satisfied,’” said Craig Albright, senior vice president for government relations for the Business Software Alliance, which represents software companies.

About 8 in 10 people in the United States said they were “concerned” or “very concerned” about AI in a Quinnipiac poll last month, with about three-quarters saying government is not doing enough to regulate the technology. Roughly 9 in 10 Democrats and 6 in 10 Republicans wanted more government involvement.

The most significant regulations have passed in California and New York, solidly Democratic states. The provisions focus on disclosure of catastrophic risk, such as the AI-controlled meltdown of nuclear plants or AI models refusing to heed human direction.

But there is pressure in Republican-led states, too.

DeSantis pushed a bill to implement parental controls for minors using AI and to prohibit systems from using anyone’s likeness without permission. It fell short in the state House after overwhelmingly passing the state Senate. AI bills in Republican-controlled Louisiana and Missouri have stalled out because of Trump administration resistance.

‘An army of full-time lobbyists’

Fiefia is part of a loose network of former tech employees turned state lawmakers trying to meet the demand for stronger regulations. He co-chairs the AI task force of the Future Caucus, a network of younger state lawmakers, with Monique Priestley, a Vermont Democrat who also has worked in tech.

Priestley said the group uses video conferences and group chats to share ideas for new proposals and deal with lobbyists who oppose their bills. She said that 166 of her state’s 482 registered lobbyists weighed in on her data privacy bill last year, which was ultimately vetoed by the governor.

“It’s like you’re running around against an army of full-time lobbyists,” said Priestley. Like many state lawmakers, she works a separate, full-time job.

Alex Bores, a former data scientist at the tech firm Palantir who quit after it signed a deal to help the first Trump administration with immigration enforcement, is also a member of the AI task force. A Democrat, Bores wrote the New York bill that was signed into law last year.

Now Bores is competing in the crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler representing the east side of Manhattan and parts of Queen and Brooklyn in Congress, and he is facing payback from the industry. A pro-AI campaign committee has spent $2.3 million against his candidacy.

Bores said tech companies are trying to make an example of him to scare off more regulation at the state and federal level.

“It’s one reasons it’s so important for me to win this race is because, if I don’t, that intimidation they’re trying on Congress will be successful,” he said. Bores’ competitors in the June 23 primary include Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, and George Conway, a former Republican who has become one of Trump’s chief antagonists on social media.

From Google to politics

Fiefia has not attracted the sort of attention as Bores as he tries to move to the state Senate after a single session in the House. The subdivisions and shopping centers of his district are sandwiched between Utah’s jagged mountain ranges and the cul de sacs are crammed with children on bikes and scooters.

The son of Tongan immigrants, Fiefia grew up in Utah but moved to Silicon Valley, where he worked as a salesperson for Google.

Fiefia rose to manage a team working with companies on the implementation of Google’s early AI model and was disturbed by what he saw.

“What I realized is Big Tech cares about their bottom line, and they were worried about making money, not doing right for the human race,” said Fiefia, who now works at a Utah-based cloud computing and AI company.

Fiefia’s legislation was unanimously passed by a House committee this year, but the Trump administration sent a letter to the Senate saying that the measure was “unfixable.” The measure quickly died.

Daniel McCay, the state senator who Fiefia is challenging in the primary, said he thinks that was a good thing.

“I’ve been around long enough to recognize the invention of fire, the wheel, cars and the internet did not ruin society and I’m very skeptical of anyone trying to scare society into regulations,” McCay said in an interview.

He noted that the bill went beyond child safety, including whistleblower protection for AI workers and public disclosure of risks.

“It would have driven Utah out of the AI innovation business,” McCay said.

At the cottage meeting — the Utah term for a small gathering at someone’s home to discuss important issues — Fiefia faced several tech-related questions from the crowd.

Asked about defying the Trump administration, Fiefia said it was especially important to stand up for states’ rights when a fellow Republican was in power to demonstrate the principles involved.

“The Trump administration is, ‘We want zero regulations on AI,’” Fiefia said. “I think that’s wrong. I agree with a lot of what Trump says on taxes. I disagree with him on this.”