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The University of Utah will open camp next Monday, ahead of the program’s season opener against Idaho on Sept. 3.
Between now and the first game under new head coach Morgan Scalley at Rice-Eccles Stadium, though, there will be chances for Utah fans to see future talent and get their football fix.
That comes in the form of high school football action — of the 20 commits in Utah’s 2027 recruiting class, nine will be playing at Utah schools this fall.
And breathe easy, Utes fans — there are only two weeks until the 2026 Utah high school football season gets underway.
Every single one of Utah’s nine in-state commits will face at least one other future Ute at some point this season.
Here’s a look at Utah’s nine in-state commits for next year’s class and seven games during the Utah high school season that will feature multiple University of Utah commits.
Utah’s 2027 in-state commits
- Bingham High edge Monson Tukuafu
- Corner Canyon High safety Diesel Dart
- Corner Canyon High lineman Jackson West
- Davis High wide receiver Jaxton Itaaehau
- Lone Peak High wide receiver Dillon Sykes
- Skyline High running back Jonah Mailei
- Syracuse High safety Kaleb Hall
- Timpview High linebacker Fui Vakapuna
- Timpview High interior lineman Ian Aloisio
Aug. 14 — Corner Canyon at Davis
One of the best games to watch future Utes face each other comes during the opening weekend of the 2026 season.
The Chargers are the defending 6A champions and this will be the program’s first game under new head coach Casey Sutera, after Eric Kjar left to take over at Weber State.
This will be Davis’ first game since Iowa-bound quarterback Tredon Bessinger graduated, though there are still several offensive weapons around for the Darts. That includes Jaxton Itaaehau and Bode Sparrow, the state’s top-rated prospect who is committed to Oklahoma.
Diesel Dart and Itaaehau, in particular, could end up facing each other often in this matchup, giving Utah fans the opportunity to see how these two stack up against a future teammate.
Aug. 21 — Corner Canyon at Timpview
This matchup happens to include four Utah commits, with two each at Corner Canyon and Timpview.
Jackson West and Ian Aloisio are two of the most promising lineman prospects the Utes will have coming in next year’s class and they’ll be on opposite ends of the line in this contest.
The most interesting note here, though, is that Fui Vakapuna will face his former team.
Before transferring to Timpview this offseason, he was a star defender with the Chargers, though his former teammates have to travel to his new home.
Aug. 28 — Lone Peak at Skyline
For the third-straight week to start the season, a Utah high school game will feature two future Utes facing each other.
This time, it will be two offensive skill position players in Dillon Sykes and Jonah Mailei.
Sykes previously played for Rancho Cucamonga High in California but is transferring for his senior season.
This contest comes one week after the Knights host national powerhouse IMG Academy of Florida, where Sykes and the Knights will face one of their toughest challenges of the year.
Mailei is coming off a breakout junior season, where he ran for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. He is the highest-rated running back prospect in the state this year, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings.
Sept. 11 — Timpview at Lone Peak
This Utah County clash of nearly annual contenders will feature three future Utes — Sykes, Vakapuna and Aloisio — on the same week that the NFL opens its season.
Could the Knights still be smarting a bit from facing another national powerhouse, Bishop Gorman of Nevada, the week before?
Lone Peak dominated Timpview 42-10 when the two teams met last season.
Sept. 18 — Lone Peak at Corner Canyon
Sykes told Rivals earlier this month, “I was always told to be the best, you have to play the best and beat the best.” He’s getting that opportunity with his transfer to Lone Peak.
This will be the capper of a five-game stretch where Lone Peak faces IMG Academy, Bishop Gorman and Corner Canyon.
It’s also the rematch of last year’s 6A state championship game, which the Chargers won 35-20 to avenge an earlier loss to Lone Peak.
As always, this should be a battle — and it doesn’t hurt for Utah fans to have Dart, West and Sykes all on the same field for a night.
This contest is pushing to be the biggest of the regular season state-wide.
Sept. 25 — Davis at Syracuse
Like several games on this list, this one will provide the chance for two playmakers on opposite sides of the field to face each other.
Itaaehau plays both ways for Davis and was a 6A all-state second-teamer a year ago as a wide receiver.
Kaleb Hall, meanwhile, was also a second-team all-state player in Utah’s highest level of high school competition. He ended last year with 63 tackles and four interceptions.
Again, this should be a fun matchup for Utah fans.
Oct. 15 — Bingham at Lone Peak
There’s one last future Ute vs. future Ute matchup during the final week of the regular season.
This time, it features Sykes, who will have plenty of opportunities to make a name for himself in his lone year at Lone Peak, against the edge rusher Monson Tukuafu.
There are several edge rushers near the top of the state’s recruiting rankings this season, with Tukuafu among them — 247 Sports composite has him as the No. 13 talent in Utah.
Last year, he had 47 tackles and three sacks for the Miners, while earning honorable mention all-state honors.
In case you missed it
First-year Utah football coach Morgan Scalley said he doesn’t necessarily want to change the Utes’ recipe for success, but he will put his own spin on it.