News on Everything Utah!
Source: Utah News
A convicted killer in Utah who developed dementia while on death row for 37 years is competent enough to be executed, a state judge ruled late Friday.
Ralph Leroy Menzies, 67, was sentenced to die in 1988 for killing Utah mother of three Maurine Hunsaker. Despite his recent cognitive decline, Menzies “consistently and rationally understands” what is happening and why he is facing execution, Judge Matthew Bates wrote in a court order.
“Menzies has not shown by a preponderance of the evidence that his understanding of his specific crime and punishment has fluctuated or declined in a way that offends the Eighth Amendment,” which prohibits cruel and unusual punishments, Bates said.
Menzies had previously selected a firing squad as his method of execution. He would become only the sixth U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad since 1977.
The Utah Attorney General’s Office is expected to file a death warrant soon.
Menzies’ lawyers, who had argued his dementia was so severe that he could not understand why he was being put to death, said they plan to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court.
“Ralph Menzies is a severely brain-damaged, wheelchair-bound, 67-year-old man with dementia and significant memory problems,” his attorney, Lindsey Layer, said in a statement. “It is deeply troubling that Utah plans to remove Mr. Menzies from his wheelchair and oxygen tank to strap him into an execution chair and shoot him to death.”
The U.S. Supreme Court has spared others prisoners with dementia from execution, including an Alabama man in 2019 who had killed a police officer.
Over nearly four decades, attorneys for Menzies filed multiple appeals that delayed his death sentence, which had been scheduled at least twice before it was pushed back.
Hunsaker, a 26-year-old married mother of three, was abducted by Menzies from the convenience store where she worked. She was later found strangled and her throat cut at a picnic area in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah. Menzies had Hunsaker’s wallet and several other belongings when he was jailed on unrelated matters. He was convicted of first-degree murder and other crimes.
Matt Hunsaker, who was 10 years old when his mother was killed, said Friday that the family was overwhelmed with emotion to know that justice would finally be served.
Source: Utah News
Big 12 Official Makes Final Decision on Controversial Penalty From BYU-Utah originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Utah athletic director Mark Harlan showed his passionate side during last year’s Holy War matchup. After storming the field and declaring his displeasure with the Big 12 in the postgame press conference, he was given a definitive answer on a controversial fourth down penalty.
Advertisement
Big 12 officials coordinator Greg Burks said the holding call that extended BYU’s game-winning drive against Utah was the correct call, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
BYU was down by two points and faced a 4th and 10 at their own 9 with 1:30 to go. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff was sacked on the play, but it was negated due to a holding penalty with receiver JoJo Phillips on the ground. The Big 12 officials called a holding penalty on Utah’s Zemaiah Vaughn for pulling Phillips down. The call extended the drive, allowing Will Ferrin to boot a 44-yard field goal as time expired.
Harlan said the contest was “stolen” from Utah. He was later fined $40K by the Big 12.
The Avalanche-Journal obtained a copy of the Big 12’s response to the University of Utah through an open records request and published it on Friday. In total, Utah questioned six calls from the game. The one most scrutinized was the holding call.
Advertisement
Related: Lil Wayne Turns Heads With Shout Out to Former BYU Star in Tha Carter VI
“(Retzlaff) looks to (Phillips) immediately after the snap, as the receiver moves to go around the defender, the defender grabs the receiver and prevents him from running his route. Correct call,” Burks said in response to Utah’s questioning of the call, according to The Avalanche-Journal.
Related: BYU Officials Send Clear Message About Jake Retzlaff’s Future in Provo
The report helps put to bed the controversy between the Cougars and Utes. This year’s edition of the Holy War will shift to Provo on Oct. 18.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Source: Utah News
After BYU’s dramatic 22-21 win over Utah, Utah director of athletics Mark Harlan took the stage to claim that the referees “stole” the game from Utah. Harlan’s comments, at least from someone in his position, were unprecedented in the history of the BYU-Utah rivalry.
“This game was absolutely stolen from us,” Harlan said. “We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight we are not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. I’m very disappointed. I will talk to the commissioner. This was not fair to our team. I’m disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight. Thank you.”
Harlan was referring to a holding call that extended BYU’s eventual game-winning drive and gave BYU life with 1:30 remaining. BYU was faced with 4th & 10 from its own nine yard-line and BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff was sacked. A turnover on downs at that point would have ended the game. Instead, a defensive holding penalty was called on Utah DB Zemaiah Vaughn and BYU was given a first down.
The controversial call, and Harlan’s post-game rant, made national headlines.
Turns out, the Big 12 believes the correct call was made. Every week, teams can submit plays for review to Big 12 football officials coordinator Greg Burks. The team states their view on the call and Burks markes either “agree” or “disagree”.
The Avalanche-Journal obtained the game-review document of the BYU-Utah game by accident. According to their article, the Avalanche-Journal “obtained the game-review document via an open-records request to Texas Tech for correspondence with the Big 12 relating to the Tech-Colorado game the same day.” Included in the game-review document were all Big 12 games from that weekend, including BYU-Utah.
The Utah staff questioned the controversial call on the final drive, saying the contact “does not impede the WR ability to progress vertically up the field.”
Burks marked “disagree”. Burks responded, saying “QB (Retzlaff) looks to #5 (Vaughn) immediately after the snap, as receiver moves to go around the defender, the defender grabs the receiver and prevents him from running his route. Correct call.”
The Utah staff submitted six plays for reviews. Burks “disagreed” with the Utah staff on five out of six. The only call where Burks was aligned with the Utah staff was a “holding” call in the third quarter. The referees mistakenly announced a “holding” call on #82 instead of #83. The call itself was not in question.
Burks is not afraid to go against the original calls on the field, either. According to the Avalanche-Journal, Burks acknowledged incorrect calls on 5/13 plays submitted for review in the Colorado-Texas Tech game. Burks also acknowledged incorrect calls on 2/10 plays from the Cincinnati-West Virginia game.
Burks’ review contradicts Harlan’s statements, claiming the game was “stolen” from Utah.
Perhaps more bizarre than his comments after the game were Harlan’s actions before the game was even over. After BYU made the game-winning field goal to take a 22-21 lead, Utah had one final play to try to win the game. The Utes made it to midfield with some lateral attempts before being tackled. A flag for unsportsmanlike conduct was thrown on Utah during the play and the game ended. The flag was called on the “Utah bench”, so initially it was unclear who caused the flag to be thrown.
Turns out, the penalty was on Mark Harlan. Harlan entered the field of play before the game was over. Images of Harlan on the field during the final play have made their way to social media. Harlan is seen walking on the field towards the referee while Smith Snowden is returning the kickoff.
So what does that mean? Even if Utah had pulled off a miraculous touchdown, it wouldn’t have counted. The flag against Harlan would have offset the touchdown and BYU would have won.
Actions like the ones from Mark Harlan were unprecedented. Athletic Directors should never enter the field during the game – Harlan entered the field on the final play and his actions could have cost Utah the game. Athletic Directors typically don’t confront referees after games – Harlan confronted the referees after the game. Athletic Directors don’t address the media after games – Harlan took the stage to express his frustration with the referees.
The post-game rant by Harlan was a bad look for the Big 12. Turns out, there was no basis for his rant and post-game antics in the first place.
Source: Utah News
In the two months since Modere, a Utah-based multilevel marketing company, abruptly shut down, a picture of the company’s finances has started to take form.
Modere and its executives have not filed for bankruptcy. Shaklee, a nutritional supplement company in Florida, has bought most of the company’s assets, according to a news release issued May 23. But a lawsuit filed last week accuses Modere of being financially “insolvent” — which is why, the suit claims, Modere owes CSB Nutrition nearly $2 million.
CSB Nutrition, based in Spanish Fork, manufactures nutritional supplements and was one of Modere’s largest suppliers, the lawsuit claims. Even before Modere shut down, CSB Nutrition claims Modere was slow to pay its invoices and rarely paid them in full.
“Modere wanted to make just enough payments in attempting to ensure that CSB did not refuse to continue manufacturing existing or new purchase orders,” the complaint says.
Modere also is being sued in federal court by former employees who claim they are entitled to 60 days of wages and were entitled to 60 days of notice — which they did not get — under the federal WARN Act. The suit says Modere had about 160 employees who should have been eligible for the payout and the advance notice of their jobs ending.
[Read more: Here’s why Utah SkyWest workers know a layoff is coming — and Pluralsight employees didn’t]
CSB’s lawsuit includes evidence that even high-level executives at Modere did not see the closure coming. Billy Reif, Modere’s senior director of strategic sourcing and CSB’s main contact, sent a text to CSB co-owner Jeff Bancroft on April 11 claiming Modere “just informed me that they’ll be ceasing operations at 5pm today,” according to court documents.
Until the day it closed, Modere claimed it was growing and profiting, the lawsuit claims. It made “repeated written and verbal” statements to CSB that demand for its products was increasing and that it was “on a growth trajectory,” CSB claims. It bought “very large quantities” of CSB products until the day before it closed, the lawsuit claims.
Weeks before it closed, Modere also announced new products and touted the company’s success at a “major international convention in Prague.”
But behind the scenes, CSB’s lawsuit claims, Modere had “a huge amount of debt” and had failed to secure additional funding from its two private equity owners, who instead “walked away” from the company.
Now, CSB can’t reach Modere. CSB attorneys sent demand letters to Modere’s former in-house attorney, the lawsuit claims, who responded she would make sure it got in the right hands. She has not responded to subsequent messages, according to the complaint.
These new lawsuits follow litigation that’s still pending between Modere and former high-profile employees.
Last year, Modere sued top-tier distributors Amber DeLoof and Brynn Lang, along with Marina Simone and her distributor company Body Fuel Unlimited, Inc., arguing they had breached their contracts by working with a competitor.
But Judge Jill N. Parrish denied the company’s request for a temporary restraining order against the women last May. Modere had chosen to allow people to sign up as independent businesses — not as individuals — and it couldn’t hold the women to clauses in contracts that their companies had entered, Parrish ruled. Modere voluntarily dismissed its suit against the women weeks later.
Body Fuel Unlimited then sued Modere on March 28 alleging trademark infringement. Body Fuel offered a trademarked “5-DAY-DROP” — a weight loss service that includes made-to-order meal plans and dietary consultations, according to court documents.
Modere offered a competing weight loss service with a “nearly identical name — “5 Day Drop” — court documents allege, despite knowing the name was trademarked.
Modere also has a lawsuit pending against former contractor Justin Prince, a Utahn who it describes as “one of the most, if not the most, visible distributor at Modere and possibly the entire direct sales industry.” Prince and Modere have sued each other over claims related to his departure.
Meanwhile, Shaklee is selling Modere products — including those manufactured by CSB, according to the lawsuit — on its website.
Shannon Sollitt is a Report for America corps member covering business accountability and sustainability for The Salt Lake Tribune. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by clicking here.
Source: Utah News
Blasting officials after last year’s Utah-BYU football game earned Utah athletics director Mark Harlan a $40,000 fine and a public reprimand from the Big 12.
Days later, Big 12 football officials coordinator Greg Burks indicated there was no basis for Harlan’s post-game rant. In a game-review document of the officials obtained by the Avalanche-Journal, Burks said a hotly contested penalty against Utah cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn was called correctly. In all, Burks disagreed with the Utah staff’s views of how five of six plays they submitted for review were officiated.
Advertisement
The game-winning drive in BYU‘s 22-21 victory on Nov. 9 at Utah was kept alive by a defensive holding call on fourth down with 1:29 left in the game. Trailing 21-19 at the time but given new life, the Cougars drove for a game-winning field goal with four seconds left.
Harlan took the podium in the post-game interview area and told reporters, “This game was absolutely stolen from us.”
More: How Big 12 answered Joey McGuire complaints after Colorado-Texas Tech football game
More: Behind scenes, Kirby Hocutt called for transparency on Big 12 football officiating
Nov 9, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; The Utah Utes offense lines up against the Brigham Young Cougars defense during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Big 12 coaches can send in plays to the conference office for feedback after each game. For each play in question, a coach or team representative provides question or comment about how officials handled it. Burks marks “agree” or “disagree” with the team’s view, then offers his comment and explanation.
Advertisement
BYU’s Jojo Phillips was the wide receiver on the disputed play, split out to the left.
“Would like clarity as to the penalty for defensive holding by #5 (Vaughn),” a Utah staff member wrote. “The contact occurs near the line of scrimmage and does not impede the WR ability to progress vertically up the field.”
Burks marked “disagree” and responded, “QB looks to #5 immediately after the snap, as receiver moves to go around the defender, the defender grabs the receiver and prevents him from running his route. Correct call.”
The situation was fourth-and-10 from the BYU 9-yard line. Two defenders sacked quarterback Jake Retzlaff for an 8-yard loss as the crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium celebrated only to have the sack erased by the penalty.
Advertisement
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham complained to the side judge after the play and the field judge on the field after the game, and Harlan confronted referee Kevin Mar on the field after the game.
Jul 21, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Utes athletic director Mark Harlan during Pac-12 Media Day at Resorts World Las Vegas. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In the interview room, Harlan said, “We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. Very disappointed.
“This was not fair to our team. I’m disgusted by the professionalism of the officiating crew tonight.”
BYU moved to 9-0, but lost its next two games and finished 11-2.
The Avalanche-Journal obtained the game-review document via an open-records request to Texas Tech for correspondence with the Big 12 relating to the Tech-Colorado game the same day. Texas Tech deferred to the Texas Attorney’s General office for an open-records decision on a portion of the material.
Advertisement
Months later, the AG’s office ruled for full disclosure of all the pertinent documents. The officiating-review sheets of the Tech-Colorado game were attached to those of three other Big 12 games on Nov. 9.
Nov 9, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) is sacked by Utah Utes cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn (5) during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Coaches from Texas Tech and Colorado sent in 13 plays for review of officiating. Burks said he disagreed with the coaches on eight and agreed on five, acknowledging incorrect calls or no-calls in the latter. The Cincinnati staff differed with officials on 10 plays in its game against West Virginia. Burks disagreed on eight and agreed there were two missed calls.
Advertisement
For comparison, the document shows six plays submitted by the Utah staff after the BYU game. Burks agreed with the Utes on only one, acknowledging a wrong player being identified on a holding penalty.
The Utah football staff sent in six plays for review from the Utah-Brigham Young game on Nov. 9, 2024. Big 12 football officials coordinator Greg Burks disagreed with the Utes’ views on five.
The Utah staff wondered whether defensive holding should have been called on BYU defenders on back-to-back plays early in the third quarter. On a play involving wide receiver Dorian Singer, a Utah staff member asked, “Does the contact of the CB at the top of the route restrict the WR’s ability to make a play on the ball?”
Burks disagreed and explained, “Receiver stops and comes back for the pass. Defender has right arm around receivers waist and knocks the pass down with his left hand. Defender does not turn the receivers hip. Correct no call.”
Advertisement
The Utes also questioned a “‘hook’ or pull from behind by the defender” on Utes tight end Brant Kuithe on the next play. As Kuithe ran his route across the formation, quarterback Brandon Rose threw incomplete to another receiver.
Burks disagreed and wrote, “This action is a foul that occurs at the same time as the ball is being thrown to a different receiver. Official sees the restriction and then looks to the QB. When the ball goes to a different receiver, the foul is disregarded. Had the QB been looking at this receiver or had the ball been thrown to him, this would be a foul.”
Two plays before the defensive holding call against Vaughn, the Utah staff on the review document suggested Retzlaff could have been called for intentional grounding and, on the same play, offensive lineman Austin Leausa for an illegal block.
Burks disagreed, writing, “QB is outside the box and the pass is beyond the LOS (line of scrimmage). Legal. The block by 55 is with extended arms not the torso. Legal.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How Big 12 answered Utah’s beef over hotly contested call in BYU game
Source: Utah News
This article was first published in the Ute Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Wednesday night.
Utah’s nonconference schedule this season is pretty intriguing, starting off with a return to the Rose Bowl to play UCLA.
Advertisement
The Utes and Bruins open the 2025 season on Aug. 30 in a game that will be televised on Fox and will feature plenty of storylines, from Utah with New Mexico transfer quarterback Devon Dampier to UCLA with Tennessee transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Both teams are coming off losing records and are eager to start the season on the right note.
After that, the Utes make their first trip to Laramie since 2010 to play Wyoming. Yes, the Utes have won nine of the last 10 against the Cowboys, but War Memorial Stadium always is a tough place to play.
The Utes then round out nonconference play with their first meeting against Cal Poly.
Advertisement
With limited openings, college football nonconference schedules fill up fast, and on Wednesday, the Utes — which have games scheduled out to 2033 — added another game.
Utah will host Nevada in 2028, filling out a three-game nonconference slate that includes games at Wisconsin and vs. Utah Tech.
Here’s a look at the complete future nonconference schedule for the Utes, from 2026 to 2033.
vs. Arkansas
vs. Utah State
The Utes will start the 2026 season with a rare phenomenon — opening up with three consecutive nonconference home games.
Utah will meet Idaho for the first time since 1993 (the Utes lost that game 28-18), then will host Arkansas for the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Advertisement
After that, it’s a return of the Battle of the Brothers against Utah State, which pays a visit to Salt Lake City for the first time since 2015. The Utes are currently riding a three-game win streak against the Aggies.
vs. Miami (FL) in Las Vegas
vs. Wyoming
At last year’s Big 12 media days at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said that he “probably won’t” be the Utes’ coach for that game.
“It’s been a great opportunity to play here as much as we have,” Whittingham said of Allegiant Stadium, which hosted the Pac-12 championship games.
“We’re going to open here in 2027 against the Miami Hurricanes. I probably won’t be sitting here in this chair, but somebody will. That’s going to be a great opportunity to come to Vegas and play again.”
Advertisement
Whittingham’s contract runs through 2027, but it could be Morgan Scalley in the head coach position when the first-ever meeting between the Utes and Hurricanes happens in Vegas.
The Utes also host Wyoming for the first time since 2009, when the two teams were members of the Mountain West Conference, as part of a home-and-home agreement between the schools. As noted, Utah heads to Laramie this year for the first leg.
vs. Utah Tech
vs. Nevada
at Wisconsin
The Utes will open with instate opponent Utah Tech, the first meeting on the gridiron between the two schools. Then, Utah hosts Nevada for the first meeting between the programs since 1945.
BYU’s Micah Hannemann (7) breaks up a pass intended for Wisconsin receiver Danny Davis III (6) at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. In 2028, the Utes will face the Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin, for the first time since 1987. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
The crown jewel of the nonconference schedule in 2028 is a visit to Camp Randall Stadium as the Utes return to Madison, Wisconsin, for the first time since 1987, when the Utes defeated the Badgers, 31-28.
Advertisement
It will be the fourth meeting between the two programs and the first since 1996, when Wisconsin beat Utah 38-10 in the 1996 Copper Bowl.
There should be a sizable amount of Ute fans that make the trip, and getting to witness “Jump Around” in person will be a highlight.
vs. Weber State
at Arkansas
After hosting Weber State, the Utes will hit the road for their first-ever visit to Fayetteville, Arkansas. As part of the return leg from the home-and-home series, the Utes will head into SEC territory to face the Razorbacks. As is the case for any Power Four nonconference game, the trip to Arkansas is going to provide a lot of excitement early in the season.
vs. Utah Tech
Advertisement
After another game against Utah Tech, the UCLA Bruins come to town for the second half of the home-and-home series against an old Pac-12 foe. The Utes are 9-12 all time against the Bruins, but have won four of the last five meetings between the two schools, including a 14-7 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium in 2023, the Pac-12’s final year.
vs. Utah State
History will be made at Rice-Eccles Stadium as the Utes welcome in LSU for the first time ever.
This far in advance, it’s impossible to tell how good each team will be, but LSU and Utah both have winning traditions, and it could be one of the marquee nonconference games in the country that year.
Advertisement
Along with Michigan, Florida and USC, LSU is one of the top-tier opponents that has made the trek to Salt Lake City, and it should make for a memorable game.
Perhaps the most exciting opponent on Utah’s nonconference schedule, the Utes will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to play LSU.
The Utes will visit Tiger Stadium, also known as Death Valley, during the 2032 season. | Gerald Herbert, Associated Press
It’s not the first time the Utes have made the trip — they played at LSU in 1974 and 1976, both losses — but it’s the first time in quite a while.
Visiting “Death Valley” should be a treat for Ute fans, especially those who enjoyed their visit to the “Swamp” when Utah played Florida in 2022.
vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin makes the return trip after hosting the Utes in 2028.
Advertisement
Just like LSU, Wisconsin joins an elite list of brand-name teams that have played in Salt Lake City.
The Badgers and the Utes will face off on Sept. 10, 2033. The players that will play in that game are still a ways off from high school, but when the game rolls around, there will be plenty of excitement in Salt Lake City.
It’s been a slow start to the 2026 recruiting cycle for the Utes, but things are heating up, with 40-plus official visitors rolling through campus in June. Here are the five biggest targets for Utah in the 2026 class.
From the archives
Extra points
Source: Utah News
Penny Hardaway is shaking things up, adding a non-conference game against Utah State to the Memphis basketball schedule in February, a source confirmed to The Commercial Appeal on June 5.
The source requested anonymity since a formal announcement has not yet been made.
The road game on Feb. 14, 2026 (which will be the first meeting between the Tigers and Aggies in history) is part of a home-and-home agreement.
Utah State is playing its final season in the Mountain West. It will officially become a member of the Pac-12 in 2026.
Hardaway said multiple times during the 2024-25 season that he was interested in scheduling an out-of-conference game deeper on the docket for several reasons. Most notably, it breaks up the monotony of the AAC portion of the Tigers’ schedule − relatively weaker than their non-conference slate − for both the players and the coaches. The hope is that it will also keep things fresh for fans, while also boosting Memphis’ March Madness profile.
While not a power conference opponent, Utah State figures to present a formidable challenge. The Aggies have made three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and reached the March Madness four of the last five seasons (each time as an at-large team).
Utah State’s top returning player is 6-3 guard Mason Falslev, who led the team in rebounding (6.3 per game) and assists (125) while finishing second in scoring average (15.0). The Aggies bolstered their roster with the additions of forward Garry Clark (14.9 points, 7.7 rebounds at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last season), former Vanderbilt guard MJ Collins and former Butler (and Tulane) guard Kolby King.
Memphis’ 2025-26 non-conference schedule already includes road dates with Louisville (Dec. 13), Mississippi State (Dec. 20) and Ole Miss (TBD). Hardaway also has agreements in place for home games against San Francisco (Nov. 8), UNLV (Nov. 16), and New Orleans (TBD). The Tigers are also participating in the Baha Mar Hoops Challenge (Nov. 20-21), where the field also reportedly includes Purdue, Wake Forest and Texas Tech.
In addition, Memphis is expected to face Arkansas in a preseason charity exhibition game at FedExForum.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.
Source: Utah News
Former Utah Utes safety Jeilani Davis has transferred to Montana, according to reports.
Davis joins the Grizzlies with four years of eligibility remaining after taking a redshirt year this past season. The 6-foot-4, 194-pound native of Los Angeles is a former three-star recruit who committed to Utah as 247Sports’ No. 99-ranked safety prospect in the 2024 class.
Davis earned a reputation as one the nation’s top defensive backs in 2023, hauling in five interceptions and adding a forced fumble for a Mater Dei High School (California) squad that was ranked by MaxPreps as the No. 3 team in the country. He racked up 91 tackles across three varsity seasons, including 42 stops as a senior.
Davis also has quite the background in track and field, helping Mater Dei win a CIF title in 2023.
Davis’ decision comes as the Utes prepare to head into next season with redshirt junior Tao Johnson and senior Rabbit Evans at their starting safety spots, with redshirt senior Nate Ritchie and redshirt freshman Jackson Benee behind. Utah also welcomes true freshman and three-star recruit Nate Tilmon to the secondary in 2025.
Source: Utah News
The Utah Jazz have continued to host a variety of prospects in the weeks leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft, with their newest reported connection coming from the SEC.
According to his Instagram, the Jazz have hosted Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell for a pre-draft workout.
Murrell is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard who’s spent five years with Ole Miss, playing in 153 total games and starting in 119 of them. He’s seventh in the program’s all-time scorers list, while also being their all-time leader in games and minutes played.
During his latest season with the Rebels, Murrell averaged 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.8 steals on 42.4% shooting from the field through 32 total games. Murrell has the clear experience and defensive upside that could land him some intriguing offers from NBA teams on day two of the draft.
For the Jazz, they could be among the list of suitors to take an interest in his services, especially with their need for strong defenders and two-way players wherever they can find them after two years of lapses on that side of the ball.
Utah will have two selections in the second round at 43rd and 53rd, which could be potential landing spots for Murrell if teams are a fan his fit as an immediate impact player, or perhaps the Jazz look to add him as an undrafted free agent, in the event he happens to fall out of the two rounds, and they like what they see from their pre-draft evaluations.
Throughout this week and last, the Jazz have brought in many candidates to scout as a potential second-round or undrafted option, while in the weeks ahead, they’ll reportedly be diving into prospects with stock towards their 21st and 5th selections on the board in the first round.
The 2025 NBA Draft kicks off on Wednesday, June 25th in Brooklyn, NY.
Source: Utah News
