4-star Utah football recruit names Utes among finalists

Utes in a heated recruiting race as they look for their first defensive back commit in the 2027 class

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Ahead of his busy recruiting tour around the country, Huntington Beach High School (California) recruit Dylin Bruce has narrowed down his college options and set a date for his decision.

Bruce, a four-star prospect according to at least one recruiting service, will decide among Utah, Kansas, Arizona State, Vanderbilt and Boise State on July 1, according to a report Thursday from Greg Biggins of Rivals.

Bruce's list of top schools comes to light in the days leading up to his official visit with Boise State on May 29. He'll then head off to Tempe, Arizona, to meet with Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils on June 5, before heading off to Nashville for a chance to connect with Clark Lea and his Commodores staff the following week.

If all goes according to plan for Morgan Scalley and company, the Utes will have the last say in Bruce's recruitment when he checks out the Salt Lake City campus during the weekend of June 19. That's on track to be the last stop on his summer recruiting tour, though time will tell if Lance Leipold and the Jayhawks lock in an official visit with him as well.

Kansas was the last of Bruce's finalists to extend him an offer, which came on May 15 according to the recruit's X account. The 6-foot-tall rising senior doesn't consider any one of his top schools to have a lead over the others, according to a report Thursday from Blair Angulo of 247Sports.

Bruce trimmed his options to five after receiving 20 Division I offers, per his 247Sports recruiting profile. In addition to his top suitors, he holds interest from Northwestern, Minnesota, Stanford and UCLA, as well as a handful of Group of 6 and Football Championship Subdivision programs.

Where Bruce fits in the 2027 class isn't a consensus among the mainstream recruiting services. He's listed as a four-star and the No. 37-ranked cornerback prospect nationally by On3/Rivals, while 247Sports and ESPN have him tabbed as a three-star and outside of the top 50 recruits at his position. ESPN rates him as the No. 56 cornerback in the class, while 247Sports has him down as the No. 84 player at the position.

Regardless of his ranking, Bruce would be a welcomed addition to Utah's 2027 recruiting class, which is currently without a commitment from a defensive back. The Utes hold pledges from Idaho edge rusher Jack Henderson, Arizona defensive lineman Tiki Teeples and Salt Lake City running back Jonah Mailei. All three recruits are three-stars according to 247Sports.