Eleven months ago, the No. 1 player in the 2027 class reclassified up a year, moving Marcus Spears Jr. up to the top spot. Then Spears, too, decided to reclassify to the class of 2026, and commit to the Texas Longhorns on Thursday.
Spears had initially been expected to cut his list of schools -- including Arizona, LSU and Kentucky -- down by the end of the July live periods. Instead, he has decided to suit up for the 2026-27 college basketball season.
Just 17 years old, Spears now slots in at No. 4 in the class of 2026 and joins a loaded Longhorns roster. Sean Miller has an elite transfer class as well as a highly touted freshman group expected to compete for a national title this fall.
How will Spears affect Texas' outlook -- and what does this mean for his basketball future? ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi weigh in.
How does Spears fit at Texas?
Spears gives Texas one of the elite frontcourt trios in college basketball, joining TCU transfer David Punch, who was named honorable mention All-Big 12 last season, and returning center Matas Vokietaitis, who was one of the best big men in the SEC in conference play. Spears adds a different dimension when it comes to rim protection and rim-running ability that should mesh well with the more physical Punch and the post-up ability of Vokietaitis.
Can all three play together at the same time? That will be the question Coach Miller will have to figure out over the course of the next few months.
The Longhorns also have Auburn transfer Elyjah Freeman if Miller opts to go with a more traditional small forward alongside two of the three interior players. Spears' father pointed to Miller's development of former Arizona forward Aaron Gordon and former Xavier and Texas forward Dailyn Swain as a key factor in his son's decision. -- Jeff Borzello