Utah picks up commitment from Skyline RB Jonah Mailei
May 12, 2026, 9:04 PM | Updated: May 13, 2026, 2:49 pm
The Utah Utes student section cheers during an NCAA football game between the University of Utah Utes and the California Polytechnic State University Mustangs held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah football added another local piece to its 2027 recruiting class Tuesday, landing a commitment from Skyline High School running back Jonah Mailei.
Mailei, a three-star running back from Salt Lake City, became the fourth known commitment in Utah’s 2027 class, joining defensive lineman Tiki Teeples, edge rusher Jack Henderson and wide receiver Kingston Parks. On3 lists Mailei as a 6-foot, 210-pound running back and shows his commitment date as May 12.
View this post on Instagram
For Utah, the commitment checks several boxes.
It gives Morgan Scalley’s first full high school class another in-state player, adds a physical back to the offensive board and keeps a productive local prospect home at a position where fit matters as much as flash.
Jonah Mailei, a productive local back
Mailei has been one of the more productive running backs in Utah high school football.
According to MaxPreps, Mailei rushed for 1,197 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior during the 2025 season, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. He also added 25 receptions for 347 yards and four touchdowns, giving him 1,544 total yards from scrimmage that season.
His career varsity production includes 1,451 rushing yards, 348 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns. MaxPreps also lists him as a two-way player for Skyline, appearing at running back and linebacker.
That production also landed in Skyline’s record book. Deseret News’ high school sports database lists Mailei’s 1,215 rushing yards in 2025 as the top single-season rushing mark in Skyline program history.
Why the fit makes sense
Mailei is not just a volume runner. His profile points to a back with enough size to handle interior work, enough receiving production to stay on the field in passing situations and enough defensive background to suggest physicality is part of the package.
The Utes have traditionally valued running backs who can do more than hit open lanes. They need to run through contact, protect the quarterback, understand spacing in the passing game and play with the kind of edge that fits the program’s offensive identity.
At 6-foot and around 210 pounds, Mailei already has the frame of a college back. The next step will be refining the details: pass protection, vision consistency, tempo behind zone concepts and proving his explosiveness can translate against Power Four athletes.
But the baseline tools are easy to understand. He is local, productive, physically developed and versatile.
Utah keeps working the state
The commitment also fits the broader recruiting theme for Scalley’s first full cycle. Utah is pushing for the right fits, and being selective in the 2027 class.
The staff has been bringing in a large number of official visitors, but the working standard appears to be clear: take high school players the staff believes can become legitimate two-deep options within a year or two.
His production backs up the evaluation, and his skill set gives Utah a developmental back with real utility. On3’s visit database previously listed Mailei among Utah’s official visitors for the 2027 cycle, and the Utes were shown as the heavy favorite in his recruitment before the commitment.
That is the kind of recruitment Utah needs to finish. They have to identify the right ones early, build the relationship and avoid letting productive local fits drift elsewhere.
Running back room outlook
Mailei’s commitment gives Utah another young running back to build around for the future, but it should not be viewed as the end of the running back board.
He will eventually join a running back room that currently is very young:
- JR Wayshawn Parker
- SO Daniel Bray
- SO Steve Chavez-Soto
- SO Mateaki Helu
- FR Lamarcus Bell
The Utes are still evaluating several backs in the 2027 cycle, and the position remains one where late development can change the board quickly. Running back recruiting is often about finding the right combination of size, contact balance, vision, durability and third-down value.
Running backs Malachi McFarland is set to visit the final weekend of June (19), while Carvell Wafer is set to visit the middle of June (12).
Mailei gives Utah a strong start. He is not just a straight-line runner. His receiving production suggests he can be used as more than a traditional early-down back, and his size gives him a chance to grow into a reliable physical option in the Big 12.
The Bottom Line
Jonah Mailei’s commitment is a solid local win for Utah. It gives the Utes a productive in-state running back with size, versatility and a proven résumé at Skyline. It also continues an important early theme for Morgan Scalley’s first full recruiting class: keep the right local players home, be selective, and build the roster with high school prospects who have a realistic path to helping sooner rather than later.
For Mailei, the next step is obvious. Finish his high school career strong, continue developing as a complete back and arrive at Utah with the same physical, productive profile that made him a priority local take.
