Ryan Smith Claims No Involvement With AJ Dybantsa Signing

Dec 13, 2024, 6:07 PM

Ryan Smith, co-founder of Qualtrics and owner of the Utah Jazz is introduced during Day 2 of the Qualtrics X4: The Experience Management Summit at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 9, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Ryan Sun, Deseret News)

(Photo courtesy of Ryan Sun, Deseret News)

BY BRIAN PREECE

Digital Sports Producer

PROVO, Utah – 2025 No.1 prospect AJ Dybantsa will suit up for Kevin Young’s BYU Cougars next season, becoming the first five-star prospect in program history after committing to the Cougars on December 10. In the new age of NIL collectives, credit for Dybantsa’s signing has been thrown around, including fans thanking Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith for his effort in the recruitment.

Smith took time to respond to a fan earlier today, showering praise on the program Young has built in less than a year while taking no credit for the funding that paved the way for the Utah Prep product.

“…Love the passion but FYI, can’t take credit,” Smith wrote on X. “I’m not the donor here. Outside of having tickets to BYU games, I didn’t give any money to bring AJ to BYU. Gotta give credit where credit is due, and this is all about Kevin Young, then environment at BYU, the collective alumni, and AJ choosing he place he felt he could best continue to develop.”

RELATED: BYU Soars In Recruiting Rankings After AJ Dybantsa Signs

Haha @Teddyferrin. Miss you brother. Love the passion but fyi cant take credit…I’m not the donor here. Outside of buying tickets to BYU games, I didn’t give any money to bring AJ to BYU…Gotta give credit where credit is due and this is all about Kevin Young, the environment of… https://t.co/d0StE3R7XD

— Ryan Smith (@RyanQualtrics) December 13, 2024

Earlier in the week, the Cougars NIL collective, Royal Blue NIL, issued a statement following Dybantsa’s commitment.

“We are thrilled about AJ Dybantsa committing to the BYU basketball program! During his decision making process he said he was looking for a program that he felt would be family-oriented, had a coach who would develop him, and a program that would win. He’s found that in BYU. Something special is happening in this program and on this campus.”

“As the official NIL collective of BYU Athletics, we are glad to play a role in AJ’s NIL deal while he’s with the program. The collective’s efforts are indeed collective. We are thankful for the 875 donors from more than 30 different states who have provided support to more than 300 BYU student-athletes across 13 teams. The collective has received major gifts from 32 alumni. We are grateful for the unprecedented ecosystem of BYU. The entrepreneurial DNA of Cougar Nation is unrivaled.”

“The Royal Blue is committed to aligning with the goals, objectives and mission of BYU as a university. We can’t wait for what’s ahead, this season and beyond! The world is our campus. Go Cougs!”

No official details on what Dybantsa received from BYU as part of his NIL package are available.

The addition of Dybantsa sent BYU’s 2025 recruiting class to No. 11 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings for the class of 2025.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.