Utah’s 2026 Recruiting Class: Scouting Reports & Program Vision
Feb 16, 2026, 4:49 PM
SALT LAKE CITY— With a few months of learning what the Big 12 demands night after night — size, strength, maturity, and decision-making under pressure — Alex Jensen and Wes Wilcox have built a class that addresses each dynamic.
The rebuild doesn’t truly begin until the roster reflects the vision. Utah’s 2026 class is the first clear signal of where Jensen and Wilcox intend to take this program.
RELATED: Utah Basketball Adds Promising Austrian Big Fynn Schott
After months of transition and evaluation, this group marks the shift from short-term patchwork to long-term architecture — longer guards, heavier frontcourt bodies, and players wired to defend and process. Here’s the breakdown:
Styles Clemmons
An upside bet — but the athletic baseline is high. Clemmons is an explosive point guard with elite vertical pop. In the Big 12, where guards must win 1-on-1, that matters. He can get downhill and apply rim pressure without needing a ball-screen crutch.
A former Overtime Elite standout, Clemmons made noise during his evaluation cycle with record-setting athletic testing numbers. He plays like it — quick off the floor, sudden in space, and disruptive defensively. He will need time to develop his feel for the game but the raw qualities are exciting.
Strengths:
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Elite first step and transition speed
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Paint-touch creator
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Competitive on-ball defender
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Unselfish distributor
Development Areas:
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Perimeter shooting consistency
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Half-court decision-making
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Tempo control
David Katoa
Katoa returns from mission service as an older, physically mature guard who has some promise. Before leaving on his mission, he was one of Utah’s most productive multi-category high school players, averaging double figures while contributing rebounds, assists, and steals. Still, he’s a complementary piece that can develop over time.
Strengths:
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Guards 1–3
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Physical frame, absorbs contact
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Three-level scoring flashes
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High motor defender
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Rebounding guard
Development Areas:
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Deep shooting consistency
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Burst separation
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Off-ball shooting rhythm
Simeon Suguturaga
Utah is clearly targeting perimeter size as Suguturaga checks in around 6-foot-6 now. He fits the identity shift- switchable, physical, team-first. He’s a strong-framed combo guard from Orem, Suguturaga helped lead a 20-win team as a junior while earning all-region recognition. His game isn’t flashy, but it’s reliable, give him time to develop.
Strengths:
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College-ready body
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Defensive versatility
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Plays within structure
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Rebounds from the wing
Development Areas:
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Catch-and-shoot reliability
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Offensive assertiveness
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Creation burst
Jaxon Johnson
Johnson is the most decorated high school signee in the class — a state champion, high-level scorer, and legitimate stretch-four prospect. He averaged over 20 points during his prep career and earned state MVP honors before departing on a mission.
He’s a modern forward at 6-foot-8 (maybe taller) with feel and Jensen wants frontcourt players who stretch the floor and make smart reads. Johnson does both — and he’ll arrive older than a typical freshman.
Strengths:
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Deep shooting range
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Pick-and-pop weapon
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Advanced passing for a forward
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High basketball IQ
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Winning pedigree
Development Areas:
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Functional strength
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Lateral quickness defensively
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Physical rebounding consistency
Zati Loubaki
Loubaki was named national tournament MVP while leading his team to a title last season. Meaning the JUCO national champion might be the most impactful addition in this class. Loubaki is averaging nearly 14 points and 6 rebounds at the junior college level. At 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, and a 7-foot-2 wingspan, he brings immediate physical presence.
🚨 Mid season Highlights 🚨
#6 Zati Loubaki (@zatilbk6)
SO | 6’9 | G/F
University Of Utah Commit#OurWay #WeDifferent pic.twitter.com/9H3mIx7Asq— Trinity Valley MBB (@THEVALLEYMBB) December 23, 2025
He has a versatile skillset and a serious competitive streak. This wasn’t a luxury addition. Utah needed playable Big 12 size and Loubaki delivers that on Day 1.
Strengths:
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Efficient interior scorer
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Rebounding toughness
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Defensive size
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Experience in high-pressure moments
Development Areas:
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Face-up consistency
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Lateral defensive mobility
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Foul discipline
Fynn Schott
The 6-foot-9, 245-pound Austrian big with professional experience, Schott adds international polish and advanced pick-and-roll feel. He has competed in pro leagues overseas and produced double-digit scoring and rebounding numbers in FIBA youth competition.
He’s more refined than most 19-year-olds. Schott gives Utah interior skill — not just size. Smart, tough, technically sound. He gives Utah interior skill, not just size. He fits the European big archetype Rick Majerus always appreciated: smart, tough, and technically sound.
Strengths:
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Pick-and-roll instincts
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Soft hands and finishing touch
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Physical rebounding
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Passing feel
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Competitive motor
Development Areas:
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Explosiveness ceiling
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Defensive foot speed
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Strength adaptation to Big 12 post play
What This Class Really Says
1. Competitiveness, IQ, Skill Come First
This first class not only addresses weak areas of Utah current roster, it should serve as a reflection of how Alex Jensen sees the game: Read the floor. Make the right decision. Have the skill to execute. Defend with purpose.
Whether it’s Styles Clemmons being labeled a “dawg” for his competitive nature, or Loubaki making impact plays during Trinity Valley’s junior college championship run, or Jaxon Johnson’s high-level understanding of the game, or Fynn Schott’s impressive skillset for a big man… Competitiveness, IQ, and skill were clearly emphasized with this first class.
When the game slows down late — and it always does in the Big 12 — possessions get heavier. Halfcourt execution becomes everything and players being able to do multiple things skill-wise is crucial.
2. Adding valuable size
Fynn Schott and Zati Loubaki at 6-foot-9, and 230 & 245 pound bodies at the 4 and 5. Add Jaxon Johnson at 6-foot-8 on the wing, with length and shooting touch. That’s a real Big 12 frontcourt frame before you even look at the backcourt.
Utah’s biggest issue this season was it’s lack of size. That deficiency has given Utah issues at the rim on both ends of the floor all season long.
Jensen needed to improve the playable depth throughout the roster but particularly inside. So, it was just about bringing in additional size, more importantly, it was bringing in size with skill.
3. Age, experience is an interesting dynamic
Mission returns. JUCO championship reps. International pro experience. OTE competition. Utah will welcome players to the program with different backgrounds of valuable experience or maturity.
Recent Final Four rosters skew older and more physically mature. While Utah isn’t aiming to have a “Final Four” roster next season, it is building age into the structure of the roster on purpose.
They’re not betting on teenage volatility. They’re betting on maturity, stability, and players who’ve already handled pressure.
The Big Picture
Smart players. Physical bodies. Multi-positional defenders. Utah isn’t chasing splash, they’re building identity.
This class is a first-response and suggests Utah wants to play:
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Through structure, not chaos
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Through execution, not isolation
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Through physicality, not finesse
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Through depth, not reliance on one star
There’s also strategic insulation here. In the portal era, volatility is constant. Players leave. NIL shifts. Rosters churn. With the transfer portal, there is plenty more roster movement on the horizon for Utah but this first recruiting class provides direction.
This class isn’t built around one five-star savior. It’s built around complementary pieces that fit together. That’s how Jensen and Wilcox seem to view how sustainable programs are formed. That’s how you create internal competition without roster imbalance.
