One of the top state of Utah prospects in the 2026 basketball recruiting class is Dean Rueckert, a 6’6 wing out of Timpview, Utah. He’s a good athlete who can play and guard multiple positions on the floor and is a consensus top-100 prospect overall.

Rueckert has updated his recruitment, with five college basketball teams in the mix. Here’s a look at how he’d fit with each situation.

BYU has had several former players from Timpview, so Ruechert could be the latest in the pipeline. They already have four-star guard commit Brooks Bahr in the 2026 class, and assuming No. 1 incoming freshman AJ Dybantsa and returning leading scorer Richie Saunders will be gone after next year, they could use someone like Ruechert on the wings to be part of the future rotation.

There’s not much depth on the wings for Clemson, with transfer RJ Godfrey around for one more year. Unless redshirt freshman Dallas Thomas has an impact to solidify his role in the rotation, the team will need an impact wing like Reuchert as soon as a year from now. 

The Cardinal is the Harvard of the Ivy League out West, and its academics alone would be very appealing to prospects. Additionally, since they also don’t utilize the transfer portal frequently, top prospects such as Reuchert would be able to secure a significant role in the offense. The team will lose Chison Okpara after next season, and this target would be a nice replacement in the 2026 class.

The Utes are the other local option on the list, one that offers an easier path to playing time for Reuchert. One interesting aspect about them is that, among the numerous transfers they landed this offseason, several are on the wings, including former top-100 prospects Elijah Moore and Jahki Howard. Unless at least one of them leaves, there would be a potential logjam for Ruechert in this situation.

The Huskies have some interesting lineups to use for next year, including some possible three-guard lineups with Desmond Claude on board. He’ll be gone, but Washington does have two young wings on the roster already, including Indiana transfer Bryson Tucker and 6’7 freshman, Jasir Rencher. Playing time wouldn’t be guaranteed here for Reuckert compared to some of the other options.