Marcus Spears Jr., the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2027, is committing to Texas and reclassifying into this year's cycle, he told ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi.
The 6-foot-10 power forward chose the Longhorns over Arizona, LSU, and Kentucky.
"Texas basketball is becoming a big thing again, and I am excited to be part of it," Spears said Thursday. "The Texas fans can expect a worker with a lot of energy. I will be trying to bring Texas a national championship."
Spears is two years away from being eligible for the NBA draft. The 17-year-old was a member of the gold-medal squad at the 2025 FIBA U16 AmeriCup, averaging a team-high 14 points and 6.5 rebounds. He also earned All-Star Five honors.
The Longhorns jump to No. 4 in the 2026 recruiting class rankings following Spears' commitment. Their other pledges include McDonald's All-American guard Austin Goosby, forward Bo Ogden, and guard Joe Sterling.
The Plano, Texas, native is the sixth top-five prospect to commit to Texas since 2007, joining Myles Turner (2014), Mo Bamba (2017), and Dillon Mitchell (2022).
Spears plans to rely on the same work ethic that's made him one of the top prospects in the nation. "My focus is to stick to the work that has gotten me to this point," he said.
He's the son of ESPN analyst and former NFL defensive end Marcus Spears. His sister Cari plays volleyball at Texas.
