When an elite QB has a younger brother following the same football path, it’s natural to hope for a pipeline to the school. That’s what Ole Miss felt with their former QB Jaxson Dart’s younger brother. But as it turns out, the Dart family story won’t be getting a sequel as Diesel Dart is staying home. 

According to CFB Alerts, Diesel Dart has committed to Utah, choosing the Utes over BYU, Michigan, and Ole Miss. The 3-star athlete from Corner Canyon High School had originally planned an official visit to BYU on June 19, but that visit never happened. After visiting Salt Lake City last weekend, that trip appears to have sealed the deal. Utah got him on campus, made its pitch, and closed the recruitment.

It hurts for the Rebels because they got involved early for Diesel Dart. While Lane Kiffin was there, his staff extended an offer back in January 2025, making them just the second FBS program to offer him after San Diego State. Given Jaxson Dart’s history in Oxford, it looked like a relationship worth watching before it turned sideways. 

The thing is Diesel Dart also has a pipeline at Utah. The 6’2, 175-pound prospect is the son of former Utes safety Brandon Dart and already had deep ties to the program. The Big 12 school has recruited him for more than a year, steadily building a relationship that ultimately proved stronger than the allure of following his brother’s footsteps to the SEC. 

Diesel Dart has been productive on the field for Corner Canyon. In 12 games last season, he totaled 48 tackles, broke up five passes, grabbed two interceptions, forced a fumble, and recovered another. He then earned Deseret News 6A Second Team honors after finishing with 49 tackles and two interceptions. His performances have also caught the attention of recruiting services, with Rivals ranking him as the No. 13 player in Utah’s 2027 class and the No. 101 safety in the country.

Since taking over, head coach Morgan Scalley has placed a major focus on keeping elite Utah talent inside state lines. Diesel Dart is an in-state prospect and a legacy recruit. So the fit is obvious. While he can play both sides of the ball, the staff sees his future on defense, where his size, range, and versatility fit well at safety. His commitment gives Utah its second in-state pledge in the 2027 cycle alongside Skyline RB Jonah Mailei as the class now sits at 12 commitments overall. But while Utah celebrated, Ole Miss was left wondering what could have been.

Ole Miss continues to face recruiting turbulence under Pete Golding

After Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU, Ole Miss turned to Pete Golding hoping to maintain recruiting momentum without suffering the typical first-year growing pains. That hasn’t always gone according to plan. The Rebels recently lost OL Corderro McDaniel, who flipped his commitment to Colorado after receiving an offer from Deion Sanders’ staff in May. The 325-pound lineman committed after an official visit to Boulder on June 5 beating programs like LSU, Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

Still, Ole Miss isn’t really struggling on the recruiting trail. Pete Golding quickly bounced back by landing 4-star IOL Anthony Keefer on June 10. The Rebels still have plenty of momentum, with 15 total commitments, including 10 blue-chip recruits. That group currently ranks No. 29 nationally and ninth in the SEC. 

So while Pete Golding couldn’t turn Jaxson Dart’s family connection into a commitment from Diesel Dart, one loss isn’t going to break the class. For Utah, however, this one feels bigger than a typical June commitment as they kept a legacy home.