Local prep football standouts earn MVP honors at Salt Lake City Under Armour Next camp
Apr 18, 2026, 5:00 PM
Under Armour Next Camp 2026 MVPs in Salt Lake City: OL Kerry Brown, DL Krew Jones. (Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
(Mitch Harper, KSL Sports)
SALT LAKE CITY – For the fifth consecutive year, the Under Armour Next Camp series made its way to the Beehive State.
The Under Armour Next Camp Series travels across the country from February to May, allowing high school athletes to showcase their skills and talents through specific football drills and training sessions.
On Saturday, they made their way to Gean Plaga Stadium at West High School in downtown Salt Lake City. It was a two-day event with a girls’ football camp on Friday, followed by the boys taking the field on Saturday for three different sessions.
Under Armour Next Camp in SLC is always a good time. pic.twitter.com/UxnqN8P3EX
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) April 18, 2026
Last year’s camp took place under a sweltering sun in mid-May. On Saturday, campers in the morning session were greeted with temperatures in the 30s on a cold spring day along the Wasatch Front.
A total of 124 players from Utah participated in the camp. There were also athletes from Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. More distant states were also represented, with players from Alaska and Minnesota making the trip.
The sessions were broken up, with the morning group consisting of offensive and defensive linemen. Then, in the second session, it was running backs and linebackers. The final session of the day featured quarterbacks, wide receivers, and defensive backs.
At the end of each session, coaches from the Under Armour Next camp, led by the director of the series Craig Haubert from ESPN.
Some of the local players earned MVP honors.
Oklahoma commit Krew Jones earns Defensive Line MVP
Orem High EDGE rusher Krew Jones earned Defensive Line MVP. Jones is committed to the Oklahoma Sooners. After his workouts were done for the day, he was wearing an Oklahoma Sooners hoodie.
Woods Cross offensive lineman Kerry Brown made a name for himself at the Under Armour Next Camp
Along the offensive line, Woods Cross High’s Kerry Brown earned the MVP nod. He’s a class of 2027 prospect at 6-foot-4, 360-pounds. On his final one-on-one snap, he faced Westlake’s Malakai Leilua.
For the linebackers, Timpview High’s Fui Vakapuna took home the MVP recognition. At running back, it was Colorado’s Xavier Lukes, who preps at Pine Creek High School.
Michigan commit Kamden Lopati was the star QB
The quarterback MVP honor went to Michigan commit Kamden Lopati from West High School. Lopati flipped his commitment from Illinois to Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan program this past week.
At defensive back, Timpview’s Malosi Ilaoa took home the MVP nod.
The last MVP selection was wide receiver Owen Oelkers from Boise, Idaho. According to Craig Haubert, Oelkers arrived at the camp on Saturday morning, looking to be a late addition, but they said it was full. But they gave him a spot at running back, and he took that, impressing coaches. Then they switched him over to his position at wide receiver, and he impressed there as well.
Davis High athlete Bode Sparrow earned an Under Armour All-American Game invite
The Under Armour Next staff also gave an All-American Game invitation to Davis High star wide receiver Bode Sparrow. Sparrow is ranked as the top recruit in the state by 247Sports. He was impressive in his route-running and his willingness to compete. Sparrow was a tone-setter in drills, being the first to run the 40-yard dash among the wide receivers on Saturday.
Sparrow currently has official visits scheduled with Oklahoma (May 29), Utah (June 12), and BYU (June 19).
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
