Over the last few months, the University of Utah football program has been in contention for some top prospects in the 2017 class only to see them commit elsewhere.
On Friday night, arguably the biggest prize yet chose the Utes.
Jaylon Johnson, a cornerback from Central High School in Fresno, California, who is ranked by Scout.com as the No. 59 prospect in the nation, committed to Utah prior to the Grizzlies' game. He is ranked by Scout as the sixth-best cornerback in the country.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Johnson chose the Utes over USC, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Arizona State, among numerous other offers.
He visited Salt Lake City two weeks ago and has other visits scheduled, but moved up his commitment date from his original plan of doing so at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl next January.
"I know he really liked it out there," said Grizzlies head coach Kyle Biggs when reached by phone on Monday. "He liked the people, he liked the coaches, he liked the scheme they run defensively."
Biggs said Johnson is "by far" the most intelligent player on the field he's ever coached, and someone who enjoys breaking down film.
Johnson will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn labrum he's played with throughout the fall. Biggs said Johnson opted to have the surgery now so that he is back to full strength and ready to compete for a starting job when fall camp opens for the 2017 season.
"If he had any intentions of redshirting, he wouldn't be going in for surgery," Biggs said. "He'd finish out the year."
Seven players have now committed to Utah as part of the 2017 class.
Ryan McDonald is a sports reporter at DeseretNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanwmcdonald.