Baer Bailey comes away impressed after official visit to Utah basketball
Sep 18, 2026, 9:14 AM
SALT LAKE CITY — Baer Bailey arrived at Utah for the first official visit of his recruitment with a certain picture of Salt Lake City in mind.
He left with a much different one.
The 2028 forward from Greater Atlanta Christian School spent the weekend getting his first extended look at Alex Jensen’s program.
He toured the campus and learned how Utah believes his skill set would translate to their program and the college level in general.
- Baer Bailey | Greater Atlanta Christian School — Norcross, Georgia
- Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds
- Position: Power forward
- 247Sports Composite: No. 129 nationally | .9246 rating | No. 19 PF
- Rivals Industry: No. 95 nationally | .9065 rating | No. 15 PF
Official Visit to University of Utah pic.twitter.com/Yo0lCanQiw
— Baer Bailey (@bigbaerbailey) September 17, 2026
Baer Bailey enjoyed Salt Lake City
“The thing that stood out the most to me was how beautiful Salt Lake City was and the Utah campus in general,” Bailey told KSL Sports. “With the campus being seated right in the middle of mountains, it was really enjoyable.”
That wasn’t necessarily what Bailey expected before making the trip west.
“I had an entirely different view of Salt Lake City and Utah in general before going on my visit,” Bailey said. “I was expecting a much more bland, uncultured atmosphere, but what I got from Salt Lake City was something totally different.”
Bailey described Salt Lake City as welcoming and even found some similarities to Atlanta — only without the traffic.
But the part of the weekend that appeared to resonate most came inside Utah’s basketball program.
Utah basketball’s staff makes an impression
Bailey spent time with Jensen, assistant coach Raphael Chillious and the rest of Utah’s staff, and came away particularly impressed by their collective experience.
“Most importantly, the background of all the men’s basketball staff was impressive,” Bailey said. “Each staff member has history with some of the top basketball programs and coaches in history.”
Utah also laid out a specific vision for Bailey’s game.
“One thing the coaching staff really emphasized was my versatility at my size,” Bailey said. “Being able to guard 1-5, put the ball on the floor, shoot, and dominate the post were all things they said they enjoyed about my game, knowing that I’ll be able to have an immediate impact as soon as I step on campus as a freshman.”
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Listed around 6-foot-8 to 6-foot-9, Bailey averaged 16 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks per game as a sophomore at Greater Atlanta Christian. His combination of size, mobility, rebounding and perimeter skill has made him an intriguing prospect in the 2028 class.
That versatility has been a recurring theme throughout Bailey’s recruitment. His ability to handle the ball, attack off the dribble and defend multiple positions gives him the potential to play several roles at the college level.
Utah’s recruiting pitch
Utah’s message extended beyond Bailey’s potential role.
Bailey said the staff emphasized a deliberate approach to recruiting and evaluation, focusing less on rankings and outside hype and more on identifying prospects it believes fit the program.
That approach resonated with Bailey, particularly because he is the only player from the Atlanta area currently holding an offer from Utah.
“And being the only Atlanta player to have an offer from the staff at Utah holds a lot of weight,” he said.
Bailey also holds offers from Georgia Tech, Tulane and Sacramento State, while Auburn, Clemson and Florida State have remained in frequent contact.
Utah was Bailey’s first official visit, giving the Utes an early opportunity to set the standard in his recruitment.
“Utah is my first official visit, so it will naturally stand out in my recruitment process,” Bailey said.
As he continues evaluating programs, Bailey said he’ll prioritize winning experience, player development and a comfortable campus environment.
“I hold the coaching staff in high regard, and the fact that most of the men’s basketball staff come from the NBA or have a professional basketball background is going to be hard for other programs to compete with,” Bailey said.
After arriving with questions about Utah and Salt Lake City, Bailey left with a much clearer picture of what the program has to offer.
