Marcus Spears Jr. makes major classification change with 2027 NBA Draft ramifications

The Texas Longhorns landed one of the top prospects in the country for the upcoming college basketball season. 

Marcus Spears Jr., who was the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2027, reclassified and committed to play at Texas, ESPN reported Thursday. 

The 17-year-old forward was highly sought after and had the likes of LSU, Arizona and Kentucky interested in him, but the draw of playing in Austin was too much.

Spears is also a Texas native, and his sister is a member of the Longhorns volleyball team. 

Spears, the son of former NFL defensive end and current ESPN analyst Marcus Spears, told the Worldwide Leader that Texas basketball is “becoming a big thing again” and that fans of the program “can expect a worker with a lot of energy.” 

Part of what’s luring Spears to Texas is head coach Sean Miller and his staff. 

“I got along with him, very well,” Spears told ESPN. “He showed me everything about the program and knew my game. He explained my position and explained his plan for me. He is laid back off the court, but on the court he will get into you and get the most out of me.”

The addition of Spears will now make Texas an even more formidable force in 2026-27, as the program has already added David Punch and Isaiah Johnson through the transfer portal. 

The Longhorns’ recruiting class was already one of the best in the country and jumps to No. 4 with the Spears coup, according to ESPN. 

“I’m going to have to work for everything I get,” Spears said. “I didn’t start at Dynamic Prep until I was a junior; in fact, as a sophomore, I averaged only eight minutes a game. I am going to embrace the opportunity. I know there will be expectations of me.

“My focus is to stick to the work that has gotten me to this point.”