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Morgan Scalley made it clear during his introductory press conference as the Utah football head coach that player retention would be a top priority for him and his first-year staff.

Despite as seamless of a transition as the Utes could’ve hoped for between the Kyle Whittingham regime and the Scalley administration, there were a handful of Utah players who felt like testing their value on the open market.

Whittingham’s decision to take the Michigan coaching job influenced a few of his former players to follow him to Ann Arbor, Michigan, via the transfer portal, causing some outrage from Utah fans over the fallout of his departure.

All things considered, Utah was able to bring back a good majority of the key pieces from last season’s 11-2 squad. Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin both announced they’d be back in Salt Lake City, giving the Utes options at the quarterback position for 2026 and potentially beyond. They’ll be joined in the backfield by Wayshawn Parker, Utah’s leading rusher in 2025.

Defensively, the Utes returned Jackson Bennee, Rabbit Evans, Elijah “Scooby” Davis and Levani Damuni, along with a few other key members of the Utah defense.

That said, the Utes weren’t exempt from the mass roster turnover going on around the country, which meant Scalley and company had to go to work in the portal to fill the voids created by some of their outgoing talent.

Here’s a look at the Utes’ biggest portal losses.

1. JJ Buchanan (Michigan)

There wasn’t much contemplation over who was the most deserving of the No. 1 spot on this list; JJ Buchanan proved how valuable he could’ve been to Utah’s future while showing great potential as a freshman in 2025.

The former four-star and top-10 athlete recruit in the 2025 class was listed as a tight end early on but operated more like a wide receiver over the course of the season, developing into one of Devon Dampier’s top targets by the end of the campaign. Buchanan finished with 427 receiving yards — third-most on the team — and five touchdowns on 26 receptions, including a career-high 76 yards on four catches in Utah’s 44-22 victory over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl.

With the Utes’ top two options in the passing game — Ryan Davis and Dallen Bentley — departing in the spring, it was expected that Buchanan would return to Salt Lake City and compete for the role of No. 1 receiver in 2026. But following the changes to the Utah coaching staff, Buchanan decided to test his value on the open market, becoming the biggest portal loss for the Utes in the current transfer cycle.

2. Jonah Lea’ea (Michigan)

Given the attention Utah’s edge rushers garnered and the struggles the Utes faced while defending the run, Jonah Lea’ea wasn’t always talked about as one of the key pieces of Scalley’s unit in 2025.

That said, the jump Lea’ea made as a redshirt sophomore was quite noticeable.

After appearing in six contests in 2024, the 6-foot-5, 285 pound defensive tackle started all 13 games and recorded 34 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack for the Utes this past season. He also deflected a pass against Cincinnati and forced a fumble against West Virginia.

The increase in Lea’ea’s production — which drew high praise from Scalley during his introductory press conference — pointed toward a bright future ahead for the former three-star recruit out of Bishop Gorman High School (Nevada). It also earned Lea’ea a grade as the No. 42 defensive lineman in the portal, according to 247Sports.

3. Dallas Vakalahi (Penn State)

Dallas Vakalahi didn’t necessarily take a massive step forward in his development after showing promise as a freshman in 2024, as his playing time and backup role to Aliki Vimahi were likely influenced by Vakalahi not being 100% healthy for the whole season.

With Vimahi set to graduate, Vakalahi could’ve been in position to compete for a spot in the starting lineup as a junior; instead, his trajectory with the Utes will be more “what ifs” than anything else.

4. Smith Snowden (Michigan)

Eligibility played a vital role in determining the order of this list — Smith Snowden’s entry was an exception.

Snowden, who completed his third year of college ball in 2025, played a key role for the Utah defense, which ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 in pass defense efficiency (102.3) while allowing the lowest completion percentage (49.4%) and the second-fewest yards through the air on average (177.8) in the league. He finished the season with 37 tackles, including two for loss, and 11 passes defended (nine pass break-ups, two interceptions). That effort earned the Lehi, Utah, native All-Big 12 second team honors.

Snowden had done a little bit of everything over the course of his Utah career, wearing hats as a returner, cornerback, nickel back and even as a wide receiver early on in the 2025 season. He would’ve been an important player for the 2026 squad given his experience and pedigree, especially considering the Utes lost more depth at the cornerback position during the transfer cycle.

5. John Henry Daley (Michigan)

Finding the right spot on this list for John Henry Daley required balancing the All-America season he put together in 2025 with the question marks surrounding his reported Achilles injury he suffered in late November.

If the star pass rusher returns to action in spring like he claimed on social media, then he’d have a chance to be a real force for the Wolverines in 2026. But if he’s still not 100% healthy by the start of next season and follows the typical recovery timeline for an injury of that magnitude, it could be a while before Daley is back to his normal self.

Whether Daley missed all of next season or played and put together another massive stat line, his departure would still loom large for Utah. He’d have at least two more seasons of eligibility (if he doesn’t get another redshirt for 2026) and would’ve been a cornerstone of the Utes defense when healthy.

Admittedly, those are a lot of “ifs.” It’s clear, though, that at full strength, Daley can be one of the best pass rushers in the country.

MORE UTAH NEWS & ANALYSIS

Southern Utah transfer wide receiver Shane Carr has committed to Kentucky, On3’s Pete Nakos reports.

This past season, the Bakersfield native hauled in 50 receptions for 744 yards and four touchdowns. Over the past two years, Carr boasts 81 catches for 1,371 yards and 10 touchdowns. He becomes Kentucky‘s fourth receiver addition out of the Portal, joining Louisville‘s Brock Coffman, UAB‘s Xavier Daisy, and Arkansas‘ Ja’Kayden Ferguson.

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Carr was tabbed as the No. 934 ranked player (No. 127 wide receiver) in On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings.

The former Southern Utah receiver is the latest addition out of the Transfer Portal for newly hired Kentucky head coach Will Stein. Stein, who pulled double duty as Oregon‘s offensive coordinator until its loss to Indiana in Semifinals of the College Football Playoff, explained his recruiting philosophy at his introductory press conference.

“Guys still want to be recruited old school,” Stein said. “You have to know mom, grandma, aunt, coach. Have you to be completely entrenched in these people’s lives. When you can do that, you don’t always have to be the highest bidder. If the first conversation is about money, probably not the place for you. Not because lack of it. We have plenty of that here.”

“I talked to about 10,000 people at the basketball game, all willing and supportive of the program. I know we have that. But that can’t be the first thing you talk about. I want guys that love football, that want to compete every single day, be the best version of themselves and win.”

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Carr becomes another target for Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey, who originally committed to Nebraska following his transfer from Notre Dame, but flipped his commitment to Stein and Kentucky the following day.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah Mammoth had a Utah-born NFL star in attendance at their win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, who grew up in Kaysville, Utah, attended the Mammoth game at the Delta Center on Saturday, where he threw signed footballs into the crowd.

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He was also donning a custom Mammoth home jersey.

Dart gave fans a “Tusks Up” on X before throwing footballs into the crowd, caught on the big screen at the Delta Center here. See him throwing an autographed football to the crowd and hanging with Tusky, the Utah Mammoth mascot, below.

Dart, who was selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has been named a finalist for the NFL’s fan vote for Rookie of the Year. And he’s got big things ahead, as the Giants also recently hired Super Bowl-winning coach John Harbaugh to be head coach of the team next year.

Growing up in Utah, Dart was the Gatorade Football Player of the Year after throwing for nearly 4,700 yards and set a state record of 67 touchdowns, with only four interceptions.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.

We’ve finally passed it: the halfway marker. 42 games are officially filed away, and just 40 more contests remain. So set up camp, pitch your tent, fill your water reserves, light a fire, roast a s’more, burn a marshmallow beyond recognition, try again, same result, cut your losses, and ingest the charcoal-esque blackness of a failed marshmallow roast between two graham crackers. Take your rest, because if you thought the first half of the season would be challenging, it would be best to learn to disconnect from your emotions, and simply allow the remaining season to wash over you like the tide.

We’ve witnessed the rebirth of the 2023-24 era Lauri Markkanen. We’ve celebrated the emergence of rising star Keyonte George as he knocks on the door of All-Star consideration. We’ve been brought to tears by the majestic flight of rookie Ace Bailey, and we’ve likewise been brought to tears by the incorporeal return of Taylor Hendricks. Brice Sensabaugh scored 43 points in a game — that was real.

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We’ve mourned victories and applauded defeat. We’ve watched with bated breath as Utah dangles its first-round pick inches from the fangs of the rabid dog that is OKC. We’ve made new friends, and we’ve forged new rivalries.

The Dallas Mavericks’ fanbase has signed a declaration of war against the Utah Jazz (for… losing to them? Tanking better than the team with Cooper Flagg? I’m not entirely clear), which is something that Spurs fans should be able to empathise with, being Dallas’ storied in-state rival.

This season, San Antonio is everything that Utah is not. They boast certifiable stars in Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. They have nailed their recent draft picks like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Utah hopes to compete in the distant future; San Antonio promises to confront them in the Playoffs if that day ever arrives.

The result of this basketball game shouldn’t really be in question (the Spurs are home favorites by 16.5 points at the time of writing this), but the dichotomy between these two teams compels me toward introspection.

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The Utah Jazz (14-28) visit the San Antonio Spurs (29-13) with near-perfectly inverse records. The visitors lose nearly as often as the hosts win, and vice versa. This is true despite the fact that these two are virtually identical in average age of their players, Utah (25.3 years old average), the eighth-youngest roster in the NBA, and San Antonio (26.3 years), just one year older (per NBAage.com, which is a phenomenal URL for exactly this type of data). The fundamental difference between these two teams is the quality of their depth chart, where the Spurs are so age-efficient with their roster that they possess a player whose mere existence threatens the dynamic of basketball at large.

Their most apparent advantage over the likes of Utah? Draft position. The Spurs have selected second, fourth, and first in the past three drafts, while the Jazz were left with scraps, picking fifth, tenth, and ninth in the same years.

And with a larger margin for error, the Spurs have hit the bullseye every. Single. Time. Is Utah cursed with poor lottery luck? Will the Jazz ever be rewarded for their misery with a top pick, or are they doomed to circle their goals in perpetual motion? This question will gradually be answered as the season reaches its twilight, but for the moment, Utah faces yet another challenge.

So here we sit at the midpoint of the 2025-26 journey. Staring into the face of a team miles ahead of the Jazz despite beginning in the same place just a few years ago. Set in the southern end of the Lone Star State, the Utah Jazz square off against the San Antonio Spurs.

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How to watch Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs:

Date: Monday, Jan 19, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM MT
Location: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Channel: Jazz+, KJZZ
Odds: SAS -16.5

Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.

The Utah Utes football program has been on the wrong end in recent days of a player recently signing only to change his mind and sign with another school, but the Utes have now flipped the script.

On Sunday, defensive end Nicholas Igwe announced on social media that he has committed to Utah, a decision that comes just six days after he signed with Boise State.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, Igwe will join the Utes by way of Kilgore College in Texas, where he played one season before entering the transfer portal and signing with Boise State last Monday.

Igwe is originally from Houston, which is about three hours south of Kilgore.

In his lone season at Kilgore, Igwe tallied 35 tackles (27 solo, eight assisted), 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.

Although the TCU Horned Frogs lost by just three points, it may have been their ugliest defeat of the season, even more discouraging than their season-opening loss to New Orleans. The Utah Utes, widely regarded as the Big 12’s weakest team, handed TCU an 82–79 wire-to-wire loss.

The contest began in disastrous fashion for the Horned Frogs, as it took more than six minutes for TCU to score. Utah opened the Big 12 battle on a 14–0 run before a Jase Posey dunk finally ended the drought. A Brock Harding three-pointer within the next minute gave TCU some life, but it was short-lived. The Utes answered on the next possession and maintained a double-digit lead for much of the first half.

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TCU finally began to chip away at Utah’s lead around the five-minute mark. Trailing 31–18, the Horned Frogs went on a 12–4 run to cut the deficit to five as halftime approached. However, Utah scored the final three points of the half to take an eight-point advantage into the intermission.

Unlike the first half, TCU opened the second strong. David Punch scored the first five points of the frame to cut Utah’s lead to three. After a Josh Hayes free throw and a Jayden Pierre layup, both teams went scoreless for more than three minutes until Tanner Toolson ended the drought with a game-tying layup at 39.

Utah then seized momentum, scoring seven straight points to regain control. The Utes held the lead for the remainder of the half, going up four at the 10-minute mark and maintaining that margin as the clock dipped under five minutes. TCU later trimmed the deficit to two, but a back-and-forth stretch followed. Utah finally created separation when Pierre was whistled for a shooting foul on a Don McHenry three with 2:12 remaining, pushing the lead to 76–68.

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TCU made a final push in the closing seconds. Micah Robinson knocked down a three to pull the Frogs within two with 21 seconds left. Utah responded by hitting two free throws, but Punch answered with a dunk to keep TCU alive. After Utah split another trip to the line, the Frogs had a chance to tie on the final possession. Toolson grabbed the rebound, pushed the pace, and found Robinson in the corner for an open look. The sophomore’s shot grazed the rim, sealing an 82–79 Utah victory.

TCU shot 50.0 percent from the field, buoyed by finishing the game 13-of-14 from the floor, but allowed Utah to shoot 50.8 percent overall and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. The Horned Frogs knocked down just four three-pointers, scoring 52 points in the paint and 15 from the free-throw line.

Punch led the Frogs with 22 points and six rebounds. Robinson added 14 points, four rebounds, and five assists, while Toolson and Jase Posey combined for 17 points off the bench. Utah’s balanced attack was paced by Terrence Brown, who scored 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Three other Utes starters reached double figures, including Keanu Dawes, who posted a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double.

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The Horned Frogs will return to Fort Worth to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Tuesday, January 20, at 7:00 p.m. CT.

The Utah Jazz were extremely successful in their tank lost to the Dallas Mavericks for the second time in a row 120-138.

In the Mavericks’ meaningless win, they showed that their depth is overall stronger than that of the Utah Jazz. Their reward? They jump two spots in the lottery standings and are closer to the play-in than they are to a top draft pick. Dallas now finds itself in a three-way tie with Milwaukee and Memphis, and is close to falling to 11th.

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For Utah, they are now just two games up on the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings. The Kings, who have won four games in a row, are on their way to passing up Utah with Domantas Sabonis coming back soon. Brooklyn is winning more than they want behind the play of Michael Porter Jr., and we’re also seeing Indiana win some more games. Finally, the New Orleans Pelicans have no reason to tank because they don’t own their pick and are definitely going to win some games this season, they don’t want to. Utah would be exceptionally successful if it lost all three of its upcoming games against the Pelicans.

But how about the game that they played today?

Utah lost for a few reasons. One, they have one of the youngest rosters in history playing, and they’re also in the midst of a brutal road trip. It’s not surprising they struggled, and that’s perfectly fine. Games like this show who is worth investing in and who may not have what it takes, for now.

Keyonte George continues to show that he’s a future star for the Jazz. In the third quarter, he was 6/6 and exploded to finish with 29 points and 6 assists. George is proving to be a core part of the future and a player you can depend on to finish games. What’s exciting is that he will likely continue to improve. And what happens when the Jazz add even more talent? Does that open up even more room for him? He has a chance to be really special next year as the Jazz will be going for the playoffs.

We’re also seeing some exciting stuff from Cody Williams, who is turning into a legitimate rotation player and potential starter for Utah. Williams had 11 points (5/8 FG, 1/2 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal in 27 minutes. The difference in Cody Williams is night and day from last season and even from a month or two ago. He plays with force on the offensive end and provides great length and athleticism on the defensive end. He’s also shooting the ball well from three recently, which is a great sign, even if it is on a small sample size. It’s something to watch as the season goes along, but Utah is looking like they drafted a good one in Cody Williams.

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Brice Sensabaugh continued his latest scoring flurry with 25. He only shot 1/7 from three, but was 10/20 from the field. It’s nice that Sensabaugh can get this type of scoring when the Jazz need it, but it’s not translating to wins. Somehow, Sensabaugh has to figure out how to involve his teammates more and not just end up shooting it, no matter what is happening in the possession. That said, this scoring is a nice sign for the future, even if that future is a potential bucket getter off the bench.

Jazz fans have to be excited about the incremental steps that Ace Bailey is making. He had 18 points in this one with 8 rebounds and 1 assist. He is playing within the flow of the game and getting these points regularly. At some point in his career, he’s going to figure out his driving gam,e and it’s going to take him to another level. For now, we can be excited about all the small things he does, including the defense and the ball movement. Ace Bailey was a great pick.

It continues to be a little bit of a problem with what we’re seeing from Taylor Hendricks and Kyle Filipowski but for different reasons. Filipowski continues to be a pretty terrible defender and is allowing an insane rate of scoring at the rim. He does put up numbers, but it’s fair to ask if what he does on the offensive end outweighs what’s given up on defense. Taylor Hendricks is looking extremely slow. It’s probably related to the injury, and he needs grace, but it doesn’t look good right now. He doesn’t have the same quickness he had before and you can only hope it comes back. Right now, each minute is good because it must help his recovery, but it doesn’t help with winning games. It makes things tough for Will Hardy, who likely wants to allow some development, but things aren’t going very well while he’s on the floor. Let’s hope we start seeing him make steps towards becoming a rotation player. The benefit of what the Jazz are doing now is that it allows him to do that.

TCU men’s basketball dropped its fourth straight game as the Horned Frogs’ comeback attempt in Utah came up short in an 82-79 loss to the Utes on Saturday afternoon.

It was a disappointing showing for the Horned Frogs (11-7, 1-4) as they picked up a bad loss for their NCAA Tournament resume. The Utes (9-9, 1-4) had been winless in Big 12 play before Saturday.

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Despite trailing by as many as 14 in the first half, TCU had a chance to pull off a stunner late as a three-point play by Xavier Edmonds cut the Horned Frogs’ deficit to 69-67 with 3:23 remaining.

But the Horned Frogs made a number of mistakes down the stretch, including giving up an offensive rebound for a bucket and Jayden Pierre fouling Utah’s Don Henry while he was attempting a 3-pointer.

Henry would make all three free throws to put Utah up 76-68 with 2:12 remaining. TCU had one more chance to make a run after David Punch cut the deficit to 76-72 with 1:45 remaining.

However, after forcing a missed shot on the other end, Pierre was called for another foul while boxing out Kendyl Sanders, leading to two free throws. Sanders only made one, but the Utes got the offensive rebound and were able to work more clock.

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Despite the miscues, TCU had two final shots to send it to overtime, but Micah Robinson’s 3-point shot from the corner fell short. With 0.3 seconds remaining, Tanner Toolson was able to get off a game-tying attempt, but his shot also fell short.

The inability to get stops late proved to be the Horned Frogs’ downfall as TCU made 12 straight field goals in the final 10 minutes of the game. However, every time the Horned Frogs would get within a possession or two, the defense would give up a basket to the Utes.

TCU faces a must-win game against Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Schollmaier Arena.

Here are three more takeaways from Saturday’s game:

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3-point shooting woes

It’s been a struggle offensively for Utah this season, but one thing the Utes have consistently done well is knock down their shots from 3-point range. The Utes entered Saturday making 36% of their 3s — top 80 in the nation — and that outside shooting prowess played a big part in TCU trailing most of the afternoon.

The Utes knocked down nine 3-pointers compared to just four for the Horned Frogs, with Utah guard Terrence Brown dealing most of the damage. While a prolific scorer, Brown had struggled this season from behind the arc as he shot less than 29% from 3 entering the contest. Those struggles disappeared against TCU as he made four of his first five 3-pointers while scoring 26 points.

The fourth was his biggest one as it gave Utah a 58-55 lead after TCU fought to tie the game. Utah finished shooting 37.5% (9 of 24) from 3 while TCU shot only 26.7% (4 of 15).

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Punch bounces back

Punch was motivated to have a bounce-back game against Utah after BYU held him to seven points in Wednesday night’s defeat. It was the first time since Nov. 19 that the sophomore forward was held under 10 points and was a major reason the Horned Frogs were unsuccessful in pulling off the upset.

Punch got off to another slow start with four points in the first half, but came out with an aggressive mindset in the second to help the Horned Frogs get back into the game. Punch scored TCU’s first five points in the second to cut the deficit to 38-35 with 18:32 remaining. Punch would come up with another big basket in the midst of a 6-0 run by TCU that tied the game at 53 with exactly nine minutes remaining.

Punch was dominant down the stretch, finishing with 22 points, but it wasn’t enough to snap TCU’s losing streak.

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Lackluster start

The Horned Frogs put themselves in a hole with one of their worst offensive stretches of the season in the opening six minutes against Utah. The Utes surged to a 14-0 lead as TCU missed its first nine shots from the field. While the Horned Frogs were struggling to generate clean looks, offense came easy to Utah early as the Utes thrived in transition.

Utah also was dialed in from 3-point range early with back-to-back 3s. TCU didn’t score until the 13:52 mark, when Jace Posey got in transition to deliver the Horned Frogs their first points. The Utes would take a 16-2 lead before TCU’s offense finally woke up.

The Horned Frogs spent the rest of the first half trying to whittle down a double-digit deficit and were successful as TCU only trailed 38-30 despite shooting 39% from the field. In the end, falling behind 14 points was too much to overcome.