Utah Utes recruits face questions about faith and demographics

Three-star defensive back Aiden Martin committed to the University of Utah this summer despite hearing persistent rumors about the state's religious makeup and lack of diversity. Martin, who is from San Antonio, Texas, said the questions he received from people outside the program were not about the football team, but about what life in Utah actually looked like.

The state is home to a large population of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Roughly 60% of Utah residents identify as Latter-day Saints, a figure that rises to nearly half of all residents in Salt Lake County. Despite these numbers, white non-Hispanic residents still make up about 73% of the state's population, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. These statistics often lead recruits and their families to ask direct questions about the presence of Black, Polynesian, and other ethnic groups within the university community.

Utah cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah has fielded these inquiries for years. He noted that many outsiders ask if the religion is "some secret, strange, different religion." Shah explained that he works to educate prospects about the reality of the faith and the demographics of the locker room. He said that once recruits understand the environment, they often feel accepted in ways they did not anticipate. "There's actually good people everywhere," Shah said.

Former Utah head coach Ron McBride, who led the program starting in 1990, recalled similar misconceptions during his time in charge. McBride, who is not a member of the church, said he often heard recruits from California hesitate to sign because of stereotypes about Latter-day Saints. To counter this, he focused on building a diverse recruiting pipeline, particularly by targeting Polynesian players. He believed that a mix of backgrounds, including returned missionaries, African Americans, and white players, created a healthier locker room environment. "They needed diversity in the state," McBride said.

Former wide receiver Kenneth Scott, who played for the Utes from 2010 to 2015, received jokes about his commitment from people in his home state of California. He was told he would have multiple wives and that coaches would try to baptize him. Scott said these comments reflected a lack of understanding rather than malice. After arriving in Utah, he sought to answer his own questions by talking to his teammates about their religious practices. "It made me more empathetic to everything," Scott said.

Stevenson Sylvester, who starred for the Utes from 2006 to 2009 and now lives in Utah with his family, said the stereotypes are mostly hearsay from people who have never visited. He said he initially focused on the football program rather than the location, but he has since found a strong sense of community in the state. "I built a community here; the community embraced me," Sylvester said.

Martin said that rival coaches during his recruiting process frequently used the state's reputation to try to sway him away from Utah. He noted that the effort to dissuade him often made him want to commit even more. During his official visit, he found that the people he met treated him like family. The state continues to grow, with the NHL recently establishing a team in the area and MLB potentially following in the near future.

Martin described his visit as a confirmation that he was surrounded by like-minded people. He said he no longer worries about the differences between Utah and Texas. "I know when you go to different places around the world, not every place is like Texas," Martin said.