Mark Pope’s pursuit of Marcus Spears Jr. has pushed the recruiting battle with Texas into a new gear.
The Kentucky coach was in Duncanville, Texas, this weekend for the TABC Showcase, and according to Bleed Blue Network’s Dylan Lewis, Spears was his top priority at the event. Lewis said Pope met with the 17-year-old and his father after the competition.
That comes with Texas already pressing hard for the 2027 No. 1-ranked recruit, the Plano, Texas, native and son of former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears. On his 247Sports profile, Texas is listed as the current frontrunner, with LSU, Alabama, Arizona, and Arkansas also in the chase.
The Longhorns enter the fight with plenty of momentum. Texas is sitting at No. 7 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 and owns the fourth-best incoming transfer class, per 247Sports. The program also has the No. 18-ranked recruit in the 2026 class in Texas native Austin Goosby.
Sean Miller reloaded after Texas’ run to the Sweet 16 this past March, but the work on the recruiting trail clearly isn’t slowing down.
Spears brings the kind of profile every major program wants. At nearly 6-foot-10, he offers the size of a forward with the mobility and skill set of a perimeter player, giving him the versatility to affect both ends of the floor without an offense needing to be built entirely around him.
If his endgame is the NBA - and it certainly is - the choice between Miller and Pope carries real weight.
Pope has already helped players reach the league, but Dailyn Swain stands out as a strong case for why Miller may be the better developmental fit. Swain spent three years under Miller, first at Xavier and then through the move to Texas, before becoming the 15th overall pick of the Chicago Bulls in the 2026 NBA Draft.
For Spears, that kind of track record could matter. Teaming up with Miller would give him the chance to grow into the top-three NBA draft pick many believe he can become.
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