The 2027 NBA Draft picture is still a long way off, but the freshman class already has a few names worth tracking. And if the 2026 draft taught anything, it’s that you don’t have to be a can’t-miss five-star to force your way into the first round.
Keaton Wagler, the No. 5 pick in 2026, came in as a four-star recruit and the No. 150 player in the 2025 cycle, according to 247Sports. Ebuka Okorie followed a similar path, landing in the first round after being ranked No. 119 in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports. That opens the door for a few more players from the 2026 class to do the same in 2027.
At Oklahoma State, Allmond looks like one of the more interesting bets. The No. 32 overall player and No. 7 power forward in the 2026 cycle is expected to be a major piece for the Cowboys in the 2026-27 season.
Listed at 6-foot-8, the four-star recruit projects as an undersized power forward at the college level, but the athletic tools are there for him to grow into an NBA role player. He already flashed well in Oklahoma State’s recent scrimmages in Puerto Rico, and a strong freshman year could put him squarely in the 2027 draft conversation.
Meyer brings a different kind of appeal to Duke. The 7-foot-1, 225-pound center was rated the No. 99 player and No. 14 center in the 2026 class by 247Sports, and he arrives with some international success on his résumé.
The Toronto native helped Team Canada beat the United States in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup title game, averaging 9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 52.8% from the field. Duke’s frontcourt won’t be easy to crack, with Drew Scharnowski, Cameron Williams, Patrick Ngongba II and Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje also in the mix, but if Meyer earns minutes in Jon Scheyer’s rotation, he’ll have a real shot to enter the 2027 NBA Draft discussion.
Texas Tech has its own freshman worth watching in Spear, the No. 30 overall player and No. 5 shooting guard in the 2026 class by 247Sports. He joins a Red Raiders team that lost multiple rotation players, and he should be asked to help replace the production Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell gave Grant McCasland’s group. Spear, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, put up 19.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in the Overtime Elite league during the 2025-26 season while shooting 50.4% from the field and 40% from 3-point range.
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At Big 12 Media Days, McGuire sounded like a coach comfortable with where the program stands, pointing to the culture he believes has taken root and the team's readiness for the next step. For Texas Tech fans, the appeal is obvious: this is no longer just about being competitive in the conference, but about whether the Red Raiders can keep building toward a run that would put them in the national championship conversation for real. [Read more 🡒]
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The biggest immediate ripple may be in basketball, where the extra year could help Texas Tech keep important pieces in the mix and reshape the depth chart in ways that were not on the table before. Football is more complicated because of the timing, and the Red Raiders will have to navigate those decisions with less clarity as the calendar keeps moving toward fall. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Techs Cody Campbell Just Stepped Deeper Into College Sports Power
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The bill still has a long road ahead in Congress, where support does not guarantee passage, but the added backing gives it a better chance of reaching the Senate floor. For Tech fans, Campbells growing presence in this debate is becoming part of the larger picture around where college sports is headed, especially as the sport continues searching for a structure that can actually hold together across conferences, schools, and lawmakers. [Read more 🡒]