Texas just picked up a jolt that could shape more than one season.
On Thursday, Marcus Spears Jr. reclassified to the Class of `26 and committed to the Longhorns, giving Texas a major recruiting win and a fresh burst of momentum after a stretch that has left the program searching for stability. Spears, the son of ex-LSU football All-American and ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears, chose Texas over Arizona, Kentucky and LSU.
“Texas basketball is becoming a big thing again, and I am excited to be part of it,” Spears Jr. told Paul Biancardi and Jeff Borzello of ESPN. “The Texas fans can expect a worker with a lot of energy. I will be trying to bring Texas a national championship.”
The move matters for more than just the headline value. Spears Jr. is only 17, which means he won’t be eligible for the NBA draft for two years because of his age. In practical terms, Texas may have landed a power forward who can anchor the roster in both 2027 and 2028, even though his talent profile points to one-and-done upside.
That kind of long-term piece is exactly what Texas has been trying to rebuild. The program has had its moments in the 2020s - an Elite Eight run in 2023, a surprise Sweet 16 trip in 2026 after a 15-loss season, a No. 3 national seed in 2021 and an AP Top 10 finish - but the turbulence has been impossible to ignore. Texas has cycled through four coaches in six years, the `21 team was bounced by Abilene Christian in embarrassing fashion, and life in the SEC has been rough so far.
Still, the recruiting picture is starting to look different under Sean Miller. After the Sweet 16 run, Miller has signed the No. 4 class in the country according to 247Sports, behind only Arkansas, Duke and Kansas.
Spears will join a group that already includes five-star forward Austin Goosby, four-star guard Bo Ogden and four-star guard Joe Sterling. Only Sterling did not play high school basketball in Texas, while Goosby and Spears were teammates at Dynamic Prep in the Dallas area.
Texas also worked the transfer portal hard in the spring, and one of its biggest additions was true power forward Punch. He took a big step in `26, averaging 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds for an NCAA tournament TCU team. Having Punch start with Spears backing him up gives the Longhorns a cleaner way to bring a 17-year-old into SEC play.
The roster will have to absorb a major loss, though. Texas is losing swingman Dailyn Swain, who was the team’s clear top player a year ago and went 15th in June’s NBA draft to the Bulls. Even so, the Longhorns do return Lithuanian center Matas Vokietaitis, who made the jump from Florida Atlantic to Texas without much trouble and has the size to be a problem for opponents whether he’s playing next to Punch or Spears Jr.
With that mix of high-end talent and depth, Texas suddenly looks built to matter. If things come together the way the Longhorns hope, a Sweet 16 run in March `27 would not be a shock.
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For Goosby, the effort is about more than putting on a good day of football. He wants to help children facing similar heart conditions and make sure the need for research funding stays in the conversation, while also planning to match the proceeds from the camp. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Commit Just Sent Texas Tech Fans A Rivalry Reminder
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The last meeting came in 2023, when Texas handled the Red Raiders decisively, and that result has only added to the confidence around the Longhorns side of the rivalry. For now, there is no future game confirmed, but Merediths comments serve as a reminder that the Texas-Texas Tech conversation never really goes away for long. [Read more 🡒]
Kobe Black Is Chasing A Texas Breakthrough That Could Reshape The Secondary
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Black is still working to lock down a starting spot, and that pursuit matters because Texas has been searching for more certainty on the back end. If he can get there, the Longhorns would not just be adding another talented defensive back, they would be reuniting two players who know each other well and could give the secondary a cleaner, more cohesive look heading into the next stage of the season. [Read more 🡒]