Four-star point guard Jamaal McKnight Jr. picked Utah over Kansas, UNLV and Boise State on Tuesday, Oct. 27, giving head coach Alex Jensen his second 2027 recruit.
But for Sandy families, the bigger name on the Utes' roster is already on campus. Alta High product Jaxon Johnson, a forward and the highest-rated recruit in Utah basketball history, has returned from a two-year church mission and is listed as a freshman for the 2026-27 season.
McKnight announced his commitment on League Ready's Instagram Live after an official visit to Salt Lake City the previous weekend, the Deseret News reported. The Deseret News lists him at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, while Sports Illustrated lists him at 6-foot and 175 pounds. He attended the Utah-Houston football game at Rice-Eccles Stadium during the trip, according to On3.
"The moment I stepped on campus, it felt like a family environment," McKnight told League Ready, as reported by Sports Illustrated. "Nothing felt forced, it felt like a genuine family environment."
McKnight is ranked the No. 94 overall prospect in the 2027 class by ESPN and No. 126 by 247 Sports' composite rankings. He is the 10th-highest-rated recruit in Utah program history and the second-highest-rated point guard, trailing only former Olympus High star Rylan Jones, according to the Deseret News.
He joins three-star shooting guard Pierce Thompson as the second member of Utah's 2027 class. Thompson committed earlier this fall.
McKnight is finishing his prep career at Iowa United Prep in Des Moines, Iowa, under former NBA head coach Keith Smart. He previously played at DeMatha Catholic High in Maryland and Long Island Lutheran High in New York. During his junior year at Long Island Lutheran, he averaged 13.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game, the Deseret News reported.
Sandy's Johnson back on the court
Johnson's return gives Jensen a player no Utah coach has had before.
His 0.9662 rating in 247 Sports' composite rankings is the highest in program history, topping Jones (0.9474) and Delon Wright (0.9028), a 2015 NBA first-round draft pick. The Alta High standout led the Hawks to a UHSAA 5A state championship in 2022-23 and was named the 5A MVP that season, according to Utah Athletics. He earned all-region, all-state, all-tournament and tournament MVP honors that year.
Johnson was part of the signing class Jensen announced in November 2025, alongside fellow returning missionary David Katoa, incoming freshmen Styles Clemmons and Simeon Suguturaga, and JUCO transfer Zati Loubaki.
Jensen's second season begins Monday, Nov. 2, when the Utes host Long Beach State at the Jon M. Huntsman Center at 7 p.m. The Utes finished 10-22 in Jensen's first year.
