It is not likely that Utah or BYU is going to lose too many big recruits to USU, especially with NIL and the lack of Aggie NIL big donors or a competing collective. BYU and Utah are in direct competition for recruiting for the best players in the state and portal. 9/10 recruits will take a preferred walk on at BYU or Utah, beeper taking a scholarship at Utah State, unless they have major family ties to USU.
Sadly, for USU fans, especially in football, the MWC schools can’t compete with the type of money, facilities, and professional opportunities that a P4 are offering to recruit such legit pro talent.It was already a noticeable average in recruiting, but the NIL and transfer portal just widened that gap. Basketball is a little closer, as USU can still make the NCAA tournament and be a Cinderella story, every year, but the football playoffs and bigger bowl games are going to be much more difficult to make at USU than Utah or BYU.