What's next for Utah football's 2027 recruiting class?

The Utah football program lost out on an opportunity to add to its 2027 recruiting class Monday, as three-star quarterback prospect Chance Thomas announced his commitment to Kansas over the Utes and his other finalist, Auburn, on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel.

The decision from the California native left Morgan Scalley and company without a pledge from a quarterback going into an important recruiting stretch for the program's 2027 class.

With Thomas off to Lawrence, Kansas, let's take a look at where the Utes' recruiting class stands and what could be next for Scalley and his staff.

Utah's 2027 Recruiting Class

Utah's 2027 recruiting class, which ranked No. 68 in the country on 247Sports, featured four commitments after Thomas' decision on Monday:

• Jack Henderson: Three-star, No. 80-ranked edge rusher from Boise, Idaho
• Tiki Teeples: Three-star, No. 122-ranked defensive lineman from Waddell, Arizona
• Kingston Parks: Three-star, No. 170-ranked wide receiver from Aledo, Texas

(Rankings via 247Sports)

What's Next For Utah's 2027 Recruiting Class?

With Thomas' decision in the rearview mirror, Scalley and his staff can put more attention toward some of their other priority recruits in the 2027 class — like four-star offensive tackle Jake Hildebrand, for example.

Hildebrand, the No. 83-ranked recruit nationally on 247Sports, is set to decide among his four finalists — Utah, Texas A&M, Arizona State and Oregon — on May 19. The Basha High School (Arizona) star is a consensus top-20 offensive tackle prospect in the 2027 class.

The Utes have been in Hildebrand's final cut since April and lined up an offical visit for June 15.

Utah is also in contention for a couple of blue-chip wide receiver prospects: Bode Sparrow, a pass catcher from Davis High School (Utah), and Blake Wong, a wideout from Norco, California.

Sparrow, the No. 71 prospect in the class according to 247Sports, is considering Utah, BYU, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Arizona State and Michigan. The four-star recruit is set to visit the Utes on June 12. Oklahoma is viewed as the favorite to land his services, though it's unclear when he'll bring his recruitment process to an end with a decision.

The Utes are firmly in the mix for Wong as well. Following a home visit from Utah's coaching staff, the 6-foot-1 rising senior is set to visit Salt Lake City on May 29. He's also lined up trips to check out UCLA (June 5), BYU (June 8), Oregon (June12) and Ohio State (June 19). Like Sparrow, it's unclear when he'll announce his college decision.

A couple of three-stars in Dillon Sykes and Sheldon Isaac are on Utah's target board too. Sykes, the No. 167-ranked wide receiver in the class, is scheduled to visit campus on June 5.

The Utes are also courting a couple of three-star running backs in Malachi McFarland and Carvell Wafer. The latter is the No. 106-ranked tailback in the country and set to visit Utah on June 12.

The last days of May and the ensuing weeks are going to be a pivotal recruiting month for Scalley and company. In addition to some of the aforementioned names, Utah is set to host three-star offensive linemen Lincoln Mageo (May 29), Tye Kennedy (June 5), Kelvin Eiwo (June 5), Calvin Moala (June 12) and Ian Aloisio (June 19); plus, three-star edge rushers Josh Christensen (June 5), Achilles Reyna (June 12) and Jag Ioane (June 19), to name a few.

Utah will also host three-star linebacker Aaron Williams, three-star cornerback Kamil Loud, three-star athlete Diesel Dart and three-star safety Aiden Martin during the June 12-13 weekend.
Three-star cornerback Jaden Bibbs, three-star defensive back Dylin Bruce, three-star linebacker Fui Vakapuna are among those set to visit the following weekend.

Utah's Other 2027 QB Targets

While Utah would've welcomed Thomas aboard, his decision to commit to Kansas doesn't necessarily mean the Utes are completely out of luck in the quarterback department for the 2027 class.

As Thomas pondered over his finalists, Utah arranged an official visit with three-star passer Noah Spinks, the No. 105-ranked quarterback in the class, for May 29-31. Quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson also spent time with three-star prospect Brody Rudnicki, the No. 96-ranked quarterback in the class, while on a home visit.

Bottom Line

A busy stretch of recruiting lies ahead for Scalley and his staff. Obviously, Utah isn't going to land commitments from every single one of its visitors, but it could still lay a solid foundation for its future rosters in the months leading up to early signing day.

Judging by their respective recruiting profiles, Hildebrand and Wong have to be at the top of the Utes' priority list. Hildebrand is considered one of the top offensive tackles in the class and would continue the program's reputation of developing pro-caliber tackles and guards if he were to commit to Utah.

Wong, meanwhile, could help change the narrative around Utah's wide receiver corps. The Utes haven't prioritized the position on a year-to-year basis, though with a new offensive staff in charge, that could change in the coming years. Bringing Wong in would help shift the narrative in a positive manner.