Diesel Dart has known Morgan Scalley for years.

Long before he was a three-star recruit at Corner Canyon — and long before Dart’s older brother, Jaxson, became the quarterback for the New York Giants — Diesel was playing Little League football with Scalley’s nephew.

There are other connections, too.

His father, Brandon, played at the U. in the 1990s and was coached by current Utah safeties coach Derrick Odum when he was a graduate assistant.

That played a big part in his decision to commit to Utah this summer.

“The relationships that have been built there in the past, and that we’ve continued to build throughout my whole high school career, it was really a no-brainer for me,” Dart told The Salt Lake Tribune in a recent interview.

“The love that they showed me and everything just proved that it was going to be the best spot for me.”

On June 12, Dart took an official visit to Utah. At that time, he had narrowed his list to three programs: Michigan, BYU and Utah.

BYU was close to home, and the Wolverines were in play because of his relationship with defensive coordinator Jay Hill and head coach Kyle Whittingham.

But when he finished the visit at Utah, there wasn’t much left to figure out.

“I had a couple other OVs set, and then after I went on my one to Utah, I canceled them because I knew it was the right spot for me,” Dart said.

So, on the morning of June 18, Dart FaceTimed Scalley and Odum to let them know he was going to be a Ute.

“Coach Scalley really makes you want to go out there and play as hard as you can for him,” Dart said. “I’ve known him for the longest, and the love that the program showed me really stood out.”

Diesel leaned on his brother for advice during the recruiting process.

Jaxson was a four-star recruit coming out of Corner Canyon. He committed to USC before transferring to Ole Miss, where he grew into a collegiate star and eventual first-round NFL draft pick.

So he was well-versed in what his younger brother was going through, giving Diesel a pretty good resource during the process.

“He was with me along every part of the way,” Diesel said. “I was talking to him about the process that he went through, and obviously I got to see it firsthand as well. So it definitely helped. It helped my parents as well.

“Things were not as new to us as they were with my brother.”

But Diesel’s path will look different than his brother’s.

He’s staying in the state, and he wants to make his name on the defensive side of the ball.

At Corner Canyon, Dart is a two-way standout, playing safety and wide receiver. He plans to be a safety at Utah — just like the head coach who recruited him.

“I’ll mainly focus on defense there,” Diesel said. “That’s what they recruited me for. I love defense. Defense comes the most natural to me, and it’s what I love most. So I’ll be a safety there, and I’m just looking to keep getting better, and ultimately accomplish my dream of going to the NFL.”

For now, though, Dart is still focused on his final season at Corner Canyon.

The Chargers are currently 4-1, with their lone loss coming to Liberty High School in Peoria, Arizona.

According to MaxPreps, Dart leads his team with eight touchdowns on the season and has two interceptions through five games.

And before he heads to Salt Lake City, he wants to lead Corner Canyon to another state title.

“I think I’ve done really well so far throughout the season,” Dart said. “It’s nothing less than what I’ve expected for myself. But I hope to win another state championship as a team.”