Utah’s finalized private equity deal is starting to kick in.
A Baylor offensive lineman, Logan Moore, revealed that his offer from Morgan Scalley and the Utes included a “buttload of money” during the UAB transfer’s visit. The 6-foot-8, 291-pound lineman told Zach Smith of the Waco Tribune-Herald in a new story on Friday.
Every offer depends on the player, but whatever figure Moore was looking at must’ve been pretty good to deploy the term “buttload” when describing the opportunity. Instead, Moore, spending three years at UAB, is seeking a starting role along Dave Aranda’s front line.
Utah’s already made some key wins in the Class of 2027, too. The Utes recently picked up the commitment of key in-state products Diesel Dart, the younger brother of Jaxson Dart, and four-star athlete Jaxton Itaaehau. Both had competing in-state offers, including BYU and Utah State.
While the cost hasn’t been publicly disclosed, Utah’s new seven-year deal with Adidas includes “high-impact NIL opportunities for student-athletes across all 19 of the university’s varsity programs,” according to the school’s release. Between the new investment and Adidas, Utah has the bargaining resources available to sway many talented prospects in future classes.
But with such resources comes high expectations, and less forgiveness when your team finishes below the bar.
Kyle Whittingham won 11 games with the Utes last season, and it’s unclear whether Scalley will flirt with that number again, even after two decades around the program. It’s a decently tough schedule, including Arkansas, Houston, BYU, Arizona, and TCU, but there’s more than enough reason to hope Utah makes a Big 12 title run. They’re certainly spending like it.
