Salt Lake City, Utah - The Under Armour Next tour stayed out West for the second week in a row. A week ago, Southern California was the destination and this weekend it was back in Utah for the 4th straight year.
The camp was a loaded, especially in the trenches. There were a ton of quality offensive and defensive lineman including several underclassmen we think project as national recruits.
There was a strong crop of underclass quarterbacks as well and overall, this was one of the best UA Camps we've covered out West in terms of talent at every position and compete level.
There were close to 200 athletes in attendance and as we say every year, with position groups going on at once on different sides of the field, it's always impossible to see everyone. Here's a look at some of the Top Performers who did catch our eye.
ALPHA DOG: Kenneth Moore
Stockton (Calif.) St. Mary's wide out Kenneth Moore took home WR MVP honors in what was a strong group and also earned our Alpha Dog (Top Performer) honor.
Moore ran the best routes in the camp and created more down field separation than any other pass catcher. The UCLA commit is both quick and fast and shows a great initial burst off the line withe the top end speed to blow by an opposing corner.
His explosiveness getting in and out his breaks drew ooh and aah's from the crowd and he was very natural catching the football as well. He's not a big receiver at about 5-foot-10 but even made an acrobatic jump ball catch over an opposing corner. Moore is running track right now and was nursing an injury earlier in the Spring but you never would have noticed by how strong he looked today.
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS
Utah '26 Class Is Deepest in Recent Memory
Even with a handful of the state's top players missing due to official visits or injury, it was clear how loaded this '26 class in Utah is. In fact, 247Sports national recruiting analyst Blair Angulo called it the best crop he's seen in his 10+ years of covering football in Utah.
- Quarterbacks Helaman Casuga and Kaneal Sweetwyne were right there with Mitchell for top QB of the day in our eyes. Casuga, a Texas A&M commit, said he's still only about 75% after a foot injury sidelined him for much of his junior season. He's very pure mechanically with a smooth, easy stroke and the ball jumped out of his hand.
Sweetwyne, an early BYU commit, had a great camp as well. He actually reminded us a lot of former Top247 QB Jaden Rashada in terms of his frame, throwing motion and arm talent.
- Athlete Salesi Moa is the top rated player in Utah and showed why all camp. He's a two-way player who could end up at safety or receiver in college but worked out with the receivers. He's super twitchy and looked much more explosive and dynamic than when we saw him at the camp a year ago.
- Minnesota commit Kai Meza is another explosive pass catcher who was open all day long today. He really exploded in the latter half of last season as a legitimate go to guy at receiver and we really liked his ability to set up an opposing corner and get deep.
- Kai Wesley is one of the region's top tight end prospects. He has a college ready frame at about 6-foot-7, 235 pounds with a huge catch radius and will be a brutal red zone matchup for opposing 'backers and safeties.
- We've seen Mataalii Benjamin at multiple off-season events now and really like him a lot. He's a true tackle with a ton of length and the kind of frame to pack on additional good weight.
- USC commit Esun Tafa is one of the top interior line prospects in the region and could play just about anywhere along the offensive line. He looks like a natural at guard and has the toughness and physically to dominate in the trenches.
- PJ Takitaki is a high major edge prospect committed to BYU and we really like where his game is trending. His uncle Sione Takitaki also played for the Cougars and was a 3rd round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2019 NFL Draft and we think PJ has even more upside at the same stage in their development.
- Although Viliami Moala transferred this off-season to Oregon, we're still calling him a Utah native. The Oregon commit was dominant today and was our choice for DL MVP. He's a true nose guard who wins with raw power and is near impossible to stop once he gets a forward push. He has strong hands and showed some burst getting off the ball as well.
Strength Out West in the Trenches is in Mountain Region
The last two weeks, we had a chance to take in UA Camps in Southern California and Utah and the crop of linemen, on both sides of the ball, was much stronger at today's camp.
The Mountain region, which includes the states of Colorado, Idaho and Utah, was significantly deeper with not just more high end talent but more quality as well. It was mentioned that a lot of the top linemen in SoCal didn't attend last week and if they had, the camp would have been at least as strong if not stronger.
That's the thing, why didn't they attend? Is it a lack of competitiveness compared to the other states? We've mentioned previously that the three lowest number of players drafted from California have occurred in the last five years with this past Draft (16) being the lower total ever. It's an interesting trend to follow but one thing was clear today, if you're looking for high end offensive and defensive linemen, the Mountain Region is the place to go.
Future Looks Bright with Crop of '27 QBs
There were several quarterbacks in the class of '27 we liked a lot today. Sione Kaho, Caden Jones, Kael Snyder, Brody Rudnicki and Kamden Lopati all flashed and showed they should be recruited at the national level.
- Kaho is a smooth operator and throws as pretty a ball as you'll see. He has a fluid stroke with plenty of arm talent.
- Jones doubles as one of the state's top basketball players. He missed some time on the grid-iron as a sophomore but looks primed for a big junior season.
- Snyder jumped on our radar after a strong UA Camp in Utah last Spring. His ball placement on a few of his deep balls was elite.
- We might have to wait another year to really Rudnicki in action. The Folsom sophomore plays behind elite top 5 '26 QB Ryder Lyons but flashed a really nice all around skill set today.
- Lopati is a big, strong physical signal caller with a college frame already. He has what you call, 'easy arm strength' where the ball jumps out his hand.
CAMP MVP's
The positional MVP's were selected by the Under Armour position coaches and staff:
QB MVP- Michael Mitchell , '26, San Francisco (Calif.) Archbishop Riordan- Mitchell has been one of our favorite quarterbacks since he was a sophomore and had a strong workout. The Vanderbilt commit ripped the ball down the field through tight windows and showed elite touch on the deep ball. It's rare to see a sub 6-0 quarterback drafted, Dillon Gabriel was just the 4th in the last decade this past April but Mitchell is good enough to play at the highest level and has that kind of ceiling.
RB MVP- Jhadis Luckey, San Ramon (Calif.) California- The running back group was one of the deepest we can remember at any UA Camp and Luckey beat out several talented athletes. He had a big season last year with the pads on and was a tough cover all day for opposing 'backers. He's a polished route runner and made several catches down the field.
WR MVP- Kenneth Moore, '26, Stockton (Calif.) St. Mary's- Moore was our top overall performer in the camp and showed why he's one of the region's most exciting players.
OL MVP- Bott Mulitalo, American Fork (Utah) Lone Peak- Mulitalo nearly earned DL MVP honors at this very camp a year ago. This time he worked out with the offensive lineman and did take him MVP. The former Oregon commit opened up his recruitment in part because he wanted to play offensive line in college and he looked more than capable. He might have more of a guard frame but showed off tackle feet and length and had some dominant wins during the final five/best on best.
DL MVP- Andreas Diaz-Nicolaidis, Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman- Diaz-Nicolaidis recently transferred in to Gorman and we had thought of him as more of a tight end but he worked out with the edge rushers today and flashed. He showed off one of the quickest get-offs in the camp and had a powerful bull rush that rocked opposing tackles backward during one on ones.
LB MVP- LaGary Mitchell, '27, Meridian (Idaho)- Mitchell had arguably the play of the day and one of the best plays we've seen from a linebacker this off-season. During one on one cover drills with the running backs, the Boise State commit had blanket coverage on a back and while running stride for stride, reached out with one hand and made the interception like he was catching a baseball. He made several other outstanding plays as well to seal the deal for MVP.
DB MVP- Maurice Williams, '27, Yelm (Wash.)- Williams is a good looking two-way player who worked out at corner today. He has an athletic 6-foot-2, with the kind of length colleges covet and is a fluid mover who looked very comfortable in space. His long term upside is extremely high and will be fun to watch with two more years of development.
2026 UA NEXT ALL-AMERICAN GAME INVITE
Viliami Moala, '26 DL, Eugene (Ore.) Willamette
MORE STANDOUTS
OFFENSE
- D.J. Bordeaux, QB, Parker (Colo.) Legend- The Boston College commit showed really good feet in the pocket and the ability to make throws off-platform. He has a lean frame but plenty of arm talent.
- Donivan Dixon, QB, Cave Creek (Ariz.) Cactus Shadows- Dixon is getting looked at by a few schools as an athlete but looked good throwing the rock today.
- Isaiah Owens, RB, Glacier Park (Wash.)- Owens was one of the quicker backs in the camp. He's got a nice burst and was racing past linebackers with ease.
- Carter Meeks, RB, Modesto (Calif.) Central Catholic- Meeks made a strong case for RB MVP in our eyes. He's a rocked out 6-foot-1, 190 pound power back who looked very good in one on one drills and made several nice catches down the field.
- Jayden Fox, RB, Englewood (Colo.) Cherry Creek- The Bruins had several players who showed out on Sunday and Fox was another player who impressed. He's got some bounce and wiggle to him and the speed to make explosive players at the next level.
- Devaughn Eka, RB, Lehi (Utah)- Eka physically looked great and had one of the better frames we saw at the position. He's a strong back and looked good running routes and getting vertical.
- Braylon Pope, WR, '27, WR, Sumner (Wash.)- Pope is one of the top receivers out West in the sophomore class. He's a smooth, fluid mover and as he continues to improve his top end speed, his game will really take off to another level.
- Tyree Sams, WR, Fresno (Calif.) Clovis North- Sams is not just one of the most explosive athletes out West but nationally as well. He just clocked a 10.47-100-meters a week ago and his speed really flashes on the football field as well.
- Landon Drumm, WR, Anchorage (Alaska) South- Drumm may be up in the northernmost state in the US, but he should easily be able to find a spot in the continental 48. We loved him at last year's UA Next Camp in Seattle and he had another good day, getting behind defensive backs, showing his routes and great hands. He's got D-I bloodlines - his mother played soccer at Oregon State and his father played football at Colorado and geography aside, he can easily play at that level.
- Bode Sparrow, '27, ATH, Kaysville (Utah) Davis- We like Sparrow a lot at safety but he worked out at receiver and showed polish and strong hands. He's a very good hooper as well and among the best two-way athletes in the region.
- Ty Johnson, '27, WR, Irvine (Calif.) Crean Lutheran- Johnson recently made the move from Texas to Crean and shows a ton of upside. He has a college body right now, is a fluid route runner and high level body control.
- J'Isaiah Mitchell, '27, WR, Puyallup (Wash.)- Mitchell is a good looking sophomore receiver who uses his long 6-foot-5 frame to create separation and win 50-50 balls.
- Maxwell Lovett, WR, Englewood (Colo.) Cherry Creek- Lovett is a speed receiver and easily among the fastest players in the camp. He's the type of player who can stretch the field and is explosive with the ball in his hands.
- Ty Goettsche, TE, Englewood (Colo.) Cherry Creek- The BYU commit is a player we were excited to see and his frame and natural athleticism jumped out early. Unfortunately he was dealing with a hip flexor issue and you could tell he wasn't 100% during one on ones.
- Jax Tanner, OL, Meridian (Idaho) Rocky Mountain- Tanner would have been our choice for OL MVP. He looks reps at center, guard and tackle and had some of the most dominant wins in the camp. He has great feet, moves well laterally and is a physical player. He has the athleticism to recover if he's beaten initially and plays with the kind of edge you have to have to dominate inside.
- Vlad Dyakonov, OL, Folsom (Calif.)- Dyakonov has had a strong off-season and looked very good working out at tackle. He took some reps at guard as well and stoned opposing tackles at the line of scrimmage but his future is out wide. He has the length and feet to play on either side of the line but right tackle is where we like him. He's still coming in to his own and has only played two years of high school ball but there's no doubt he has an NFL ceiling.
- Dominic Harris, OL, Las Vegas (Nev.) Clark- Harris is a massive lineman who not only played all three positions on the offensive line last season but worked in at defensive tackle as well. He relies on raw power and strength but will need to continue to refine his technique and play with better pad level and once he does, his game will really take off.
DEFENSE
- Cole Albrecht, Edge, Sandy (Utah) Alta - We thought the UNLV commit really popped during bag drills and then carried that tenacity over to one-on-one battles where he used a quick first step to put tackles on their heels. Albrecht is a really good athlete and plays with controlled intensity.
- Harvie Moeai, Edge, Lehi (Utah) Skyridge - An under-the-radar type who performed well as a junior last year, Moeai displayed a persistent motor and an array of counter moves. He's got a projectable frame with length, and looks like one to track this fall on one of the top teams in the Beehive State.
- Giovanni Hodge, '27, Edge, Sacramento (Calif.) Grant- Hodge has a prototype edge frame and looked all of the 6-foot-5, 240 pounds he's listed at. He can win with speed or power and projects as an easy national recruit.
- Corbin Wade, Edge, Denver (Colo.) Green Mountain- Wade just looks how a college edge prospect should look. He has a long, linear 6-foot-5 frame, gets off the ball really well and has the speed to turn and rip around the edge. He recently picked up his first couple of scholarship offers but still looks like one of the more under-recruited players out West.
- Brody Sieck, Edge, Littleton (Colo.) Arapahoe- Sieck has more of a linebacker frame but worked out with the edge rushers. He's extremely quick off the ball with some heavy hands.
- Braylon Hodge, LB, Englewood (Colo.) Cherry Creek- Hodge was on our short list for LB MVP. He's one of the more athletic 'backers out West who can play in space, cover and shows a lot of range.
- Adam Bywater, LB, Salt Lake City (Utah) Olympus- Bywater was very good space and projects as an ideal off-ball linebacker who can run and cover. He played a lot of safety last season so it makes sense he was so comfortable in coverage and he looks like one of the better all around 'backers in the region.
- Donovan Dunmore, DB, Clovis (Calif.) Buchanan- Dunmore is a really talented cover corner and has all the traits you want to see in a next level defensive back. He has length, quickness and long speed and can really close.
- Lamont McDonald, '27, DB, Hayward (Calif.) Tennyson- McDonald may have taken more reps than any defensive back at the camp and he was routinely finding the best quarterbacks or receivers to go against. He had several breakups and a couple picks and was probably the runner up for DB MVP on the day. He's twitchy, reads the ball well and consistently got his hands on passes.
- Malakai Taufoou, '27, DB, San Mateo (Calif.) Serra- Tau'foou was another one of our favorite defensive backs and the safety had a really good day and was on the short list of top DBs. He was really good in the one on ones, showed great closing speed, active hands and a willingness to get physical early but not interfering and could end up being in the discussion for top '27 defensive prospect in the Bay Area.
— Jernaro Gilford Jr., defensive back, Lehi (Utah) Skyridge - A big-bodied cornerback who matched up well with receivers near the line of scrimmage without the need to hold and pull. Gilford is technically sound in coverage and, depending on how he fills out physically, has the frame to play multiple spots in the secondary.
AROUND THE FACILITY
- As strong as the camp was, it could have been even more loaded but a handful of top players were late scratches due to official visits.
Jaron and Kennan Pula, Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais and Lopeti Moala were all confirmed but ended up officially visiting UCLA. The Pula twins are two of the region's top wide receiver prospects, Umu-Cais is a dominant nose guard and Moala is an inside/outside defensive lineman with a lot of positional versatility.
- BYU tight end commit Brock Harris was another late scratch due to a hip injury. Harris is one of the nation's top tight end prospects and was a huge early pickup for the Cougars.
- Former Baltimore Raven and Detroit Lion all-pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was in attendance to watch his son Sam Ngata in action. The younger Ngata was one of the top sophomores in attendance and shows a lot of upside as a linebacker. He has an athletic 6-foot-3, 215 pound frame and made some plays in coverage down the field.
- Perennial Beehive State power Orem appears to be in great hands up front in the years to come with bookend tackles Noah Seufale and Maui Tonata flashing really nice upside throughout offensive line drills. The class of 2028 teammates held their own in one-on-one battles, too, and should be among the top players in the state the next three years.
- There was a handful of talented freshmen out of the '28 class who showed plenty of upside. Clovis West (Calif.) quarterback Jamar Howard and Aurora (Colo.) Regis Jesuit signal caller Luke Rubley can spin it and showed why they will both be national recruits.
Go ahead and stamp Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic defensive lineman Aedyn Havili as a future national recruit. He was one of the strongest players in the camp and was able to bully just about every opposing guard or center he lined up against.
Another freshman from Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic who stood out was tight end Tytan McNeal. He's a long, athletic tight end and does not look like a freshman at all.
San Francisco (Calif.) Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep corner Isaiah Glover was among the top defensive backs in the camp. He's scrappy and sticky in coverage and really competed.
Littleton (Colo.) Mountain Vista offensive lineman Nicholas McChesney was another freshman who showed promise. He took reps at guard and looks like a potential center down the road but his toughness and technique stood out.
We also liked Englewood (Colo.) Cherry Creek freshman athlete Elijah Cromwell. He's a versatile athlete who we can see playing multiple positions but worked out with the running backs and was one of the quickest backs we saw.
National Recruiting Analysts Blair Angulo and Brandon Huffman contributed to this report