Dallin Hall explains choosing Utah State, says return to BYU ‘wasn’t super great’ fit
Sep 2, 2026, 12:39 PM
LOGAN – Dallin Hall could have gone back to BYU. He could have returned to Virginia. Instead, the most experienced guard in the transfer portal needed less than a week to choose Utah State.
Hall, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound point guard from Plain City, Utah, joined KSL Sports Zone on Monday to detail the whirlwind decision that brought him to Logan as a graduate transfer.
The 136-game veteran spent three seasons at BYU and one at Virginia, where he started all 36 games for a Cavaliers squad that went 30-6 and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season under former USU head man Ryan Odom.
He wasn’t supposed to have a fifth year. A court ruling in mid-August changed that, and when the portal opened, first-year USU coach Ben Jacobson moved fast.
RELATED: Dallin Hall chooses Utah State for final college season
“When Coach Jacobson reached out, we just really connected fast,” Hall said. “I really loved his approach. He took the time to get to know me, my family, and then his pitch for me was just talking about a need that I could help fill here at Utah State. How they thought they could help me improve as a basketball player, as a person.”
Hall said the combination of Jacobson’s vision and the chance to play close to home for one final college season made the choice clear.
“That vision, combined with the aspect of coming back closer to home for one more year before I get ready to go pro — all the things aligned to make it a really sweet decision to be able to come back home,” Hall said.
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Why not BYU
Hall played three seasons in Provo, including two in the Big 12. When he entered the portal, some assumed he would return to the Cougars.
He said his final decision came down to Virginia, BYU and Utah State — and that the fit in Provo wasn’t right this time around.
“In my heart, it felt right to come back closer to home. This felt like a good fit from a basketball standpoint, life standpoint,” Hall said. “And I didn’t feel like the fit was super great for BYU at this time. Obviously with me coming in this late, I understood that teams were already built — they weren’t counting on fifth-year guys in my boat — so I had to factor all of that in.”
He’ll get a chance to face his former team when Utah State visits Marriott Center on Dec. 9.
A March Madness mandate
Utah State has won NCAA Tournament games in two of the last three seasons.
That track record factored heavily into Hall’s decision, and he said Jacobson was direct about the program’s ambitions.
“I want to win at the highest level, and that’s something they’ve been doing here recently,” Hall said. “Coach Jacobson’s pitch to me was to make a run in March Madness. That’s something I hope to help them do — to do something that’s never been done at Utah State before. And I think we have the pieces to do it.”
New Utah State guard Dallin Hall joined Scotty G. & The Coach to talk about his decision to join the Aggies for his final college season and why a return to BYU ended up not being in the cards.
Plus, a current Utah State star makes an appearance. 😂 #goaggies #dallinhall pic.twitter.com/NYYRWYmFQv
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 1, 2026
Hall acknowledged the challenge of joining a roster in late August, after the team spent the summer building chemistry without him. He said Jacobson and Falslev both reassured him it wouldn’t be an issue.
“Once I come in and just show my work ethic and my ability to connect with teammates and help the team win, I’ll be able to seamlessly fit into this group,” Hall said. “My first weekend up here, I got to hang out with the guys and they embraced me with open arms. I think it’s going to be a really fun year.”
Coming home
Hall grew up in Plain City and starred at Fremont High School before serving a two-year mission in Fresno, California.
His career took him to Provo and then Charlottesville.
Now, he’s back playing close to the people who raised him.
“It has been super special just being back close to the people that I really love and care for that helped raise me, my community, and to be able to play in front of them and see my family a lot more,” Hall said. “It’s going to be something that I’ll be extremely grateful for.”
Trusting the plan
Hall’s college career hasn’t followed a straight line. Asked what he’s learned through the transfers, the coaching changes and the unexpected fifth year, he paused before answering.
✍️ 𝓢𝓲𝓰𝓷𝓮𝓭
Welcome to the @USUBasketball family @DallinHHall!
🔗 https://t.co/kUJstwv3PZ pic.twitter.com/MVYaFf0cA0
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) August 25, 2026
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is just trust yourself and trust God’s plan,” Hall said. “I probably had the roadmap working out differently, but I believe that I am where I am at this point in time for a reason. I got to continue to really believe in myself, trust God and where he’s put me at this time, and just give everything to get better every day and trust the results to take care of themselves.”
Before his college career ends, Hall will finally experience a venue he’s only watched from the stands.
“I’ve heard about the Spectrum when I was younger, getting recruited here out of high school,” Hall said. “I came up to some games and got to watch Sam Merrill play. So I’ve experienced it. But to be able to experience it on the floor — that’s going to be super special for sure.”
Hall never played at the Spectrum during his three years at BYU. His first game there will be in Aggie blue.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
