Kanab’s Rylee Little is headed to the Utes.
The work that the Utah women’s basketball coaching staff has done behind the scenes this summer on the recruiting trail paid off with a commitment on Monday night.
It happened to come from the top prospect in the state of Utah for the 2026 class.
Center Rylee Little, who hails from Kanab, announced her commitment on social media.
Who is Rylee Little?
The 6-foot-4 Little is rated a four-star prospect with a 0.9731 rating in 247 Sports’ composite rankings.
247 Sports rates her as the No. 68 overall recruit in the 2026 class, 10th at center and the top prospect in Utah.
“Little has the physical tools that NCAA Tournament schools covet in the frontcourt. She does a good job of catching the basketball high and keeping it high. That’s a learned skill that most post players struggle with entering college. Little should not have an issue there based on this eval,” 247 Sports’ Brandon Clay wrote in assessing her game.
“In the open floor, Little is more than willing to run the floor and catches well in transition. She has touch on her shot around the rim, shooting right at 62 percent in adidas 3SSB circuit play. Little still has physical upside at the college level too. She’s one who could take another substantial leap over the next 12 to 24 months.”
Little is a three-time 2A first-team All-State honoree from the Deseret News. Last season, she averaged 17.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 blocks per game.
She’s won two 2A state titles with the Cowboys, as a freshman and sophomore, while helping Kanab reach the state semifinals last season.
In her sophomore season, Little had 14 points, 12 rebounds (eight offensive) and four blocks in the 2A state championship game, when Kanab beat North Summit 59-47. The Deseret News named Little the 2A tournament MVP that year.
How does Rylee Little fit into Utah’s future plans?
Little is the next piece to the puzzle of what the Utes’ frontcourt will look like in future seasons.
The Utes have only one senior in the frontcourt this year, forward Samantha Crispe, while there are three juniors in Reese Ross, Chyra Evans and Alyssa Blanck.
Earlier this offseason, Utah added a pair of other forwards in sophomore Kamryn Mafua, a transfer from California, and freshman Evelina Otto, who hails from Latvia and played her senior year of high school in Colorado.
Little would likely slide in as the next potential star in the frontcourt for Utah once players like Ross, Evans and Blanck exhaust their eligibility after the 2026-27 season, when Little presumably would be a freshman.
Category: General Sports
