Utah Runnin' Utes head coach Alex Jensen enters his first season at the helm of his alma mater. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah basketball finalist for local 4-star recruit

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 9:27 PM ET

Alex Jensen and his Utah Runnin' Utes coaching staff made significant progress with one of the top in-state high school prospects in the class of 2026 on Thursday.

According to On3's Joe Tipton, Timpview High School standout Dean Rueckert narrowed down his list of schools to Utah, BYU, Clemson, Washington and Stanford.

Rueckert, a four-star recruit in the class of 2026, told On3's Joe Tipton that he scheduled a visit with BYU for Sept. 6. The 6-foot-7 wing also said that he's expecting to go on additional visits before making his decision in the fall, though he did not specify which programs he's hoping to see.

NEWS: 4⭐️ Dean Rueckert (@dean_rueckert) is down to five schools, he tells @On3Recruits.

The 6-7 wing has scheduled an official visit to BYU and breaks down his finalists (On3+): https://t.co/FxCj5BgoTY pic.twitter.com/Dd7oVdUgh4
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 26, 2025

Rueckert's been regarded by several recruiting databases as a top-five prospect from the state of Utah. ESPN had him as the second-best high school junior in the state behind Utah Prep's Anthony Felesi, while 247Sports (No. 4) and On3 (No. 3) had him near the top of their respective rankings as well. Nationally, Rueckert checked in as ESPN's No. 54-ranked prospect in the class of 2026.

Rueckert's coming off an impressive showing at the annual Section 7 event in Arizona. He also holds offers from TCU, Washington State, California, UNLV, and others. He completed a visit with Washington last year.

“Utah just got an all-new coaching staff with lots of professional experience and they have always had a good program," Rueckert told Tipton. "I like their campus and I’m excited to get to know them more.”

Utah's casted a wide recruiting net as it lays the foundation with its high-priority targets in the 2026 and 2027 classes. The Utes recently offered on four-star prospect Latrell Allmond in the 2026 class and have contacted a few 2027 blue-chippers, including four-starDeMarcus Henry, top-35 prospect Jalen Davis, top-ranked centerPaul Osaruyiand four-star guard Tavid Johnson. Utah also offered the top-ranked player in the 2027 class, Baba Oladotun, on May 27.