Utah basketball lands first commitment in 2026 class

Utes secure pledge from four-star guard

Utah Runnin' Utes head coach Alex Jensen landed his first commitment in the 2026 class via Overtime Elite product Styles Clemmons. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Alex Jensen and the Utah men's basketball program picked up their first commitment in the 2026 class on Tuesday via 6-foot-1 guard Styles Clemmons.

Clemmons, who announced his pledge on social media, made his decision after taking an official visit with the Runnin' Utes that coincided with the football team's home game against Cal Poly on Sept. 6. The Virginia Beach, Virginia, native spent the past year playing in the Overtime Elite League with the Georgia-based City Reapers.

Clemmons' commitment helped set a solid foundation for Jensen and his staff to build the rest of their 2026 recruiting class around. The 18-year-old checked in as a four-star prospect and the No. 46-ranked guard in the country according to ESPN100. He's yet to receive a ranking from 247Sports and Rivals.

A recent post from Overtime Elite's social media account showcased Clemmons' superb athleticism, as he broke his own in-house record with a 43-inch max vertical during combine drills. That came after he averaged 4.8 points, 2.3 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 0.5 steals across 12 games with the City Repears in the 2024-25 season.

Clemmons put his talents on display over the summer while suiting up for Team Boo Williams (Virginia) during Nike EYBL circuit. In 15 appearances, he averaged 11.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 41% from the field and 34.8% from 3-point range. Those efforts helped him earn "All Break Out Team" honors from Nike EYBL.

110%..see you soon Salt Lake #GOUTES❤️ pic.twitter.com/zcfqm8ihck

— STYLES CLEMMONS (@ClemmonsStyles) September 16, 2025

Clemmons, who held offers from a few power conference schools, went through the same Overtime Elite program that current Utah forward Jahki Howard experienced prior to committing to Auburn as a four-star recruit in the 2024 class. Howard, who transferred to Utah over the 2025 offseason, helped lead the City Reapers to an OTE Championships as a senior and was named the finals MVP after averaging 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in the playoffs.

Mississippi State, Oklahoma State and Seton Hall were among the schools that extended offers to Clemmons, along with Appalachian State, Florida International, Norfolk State, Hampton, Radford and VCU from the mid-major ranks.

With Clemmons on board, the Runnin' Utes can turn their attention to some of their other top targets in the 2026 class, such as four-star recruits Herly Brutus and Jamyn Sondrup, both of whom have Utah listed in their respective final lists.