ESPN reported Thursday<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe 17-year-old forward was highly sought after and had the likes of LSU, Arizona and Kentucky interested in him, but the draw of playing in Austin was too much. <\/p>\n
Marcus Spears Jr. is heading to Texas for the 2026-27 season. Instagram.com\/marcusjr<\/p>\n
Spears is also a Texas native, and his sister is a member of the Longhorns volleyball team.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Spears, the son of former NFL defensive end and current ESPN analyst Marcus Spears, told the Worldwide Leader that Texas basketball is \u201cbecoming a big thing again\u201d and that fans of the program \u201ccan expect a worker with a lot of energy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Part of what\u2019s luring Spears to Texas is head coach Sean Miller and his staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI got along with him, very well,\u201d Spears told ESPN. \u201cHe showed me everything about the program and knew my game. He explained my position and explained his plan for me. He is laid back off the court, but on the court he will get into you and get the most out of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus Spears Jr. was the top recruit for 2027 before reclassifying. Instagram.com\/marcusjr<\/p>\n
Marcus Spears Jr. is the son of ex-NFL defensive end Marcus Spears. Instagram.com\/marcusjr<\/p>\n
The addition of Spears will now make Texas an even more formidable force in 2026-27, as the program has already added David Punch and Isaiah Johnson through the transfer portal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Longhorns\u2019 recruiting class was already one of the best in the country and jumps to No. 4 with the Spears coup, according to ESPN.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to have to work for everything I get,\u201d Spears said. \u201cI didn\u2019t start at Dynamic Prep until I was a junior; in fact, as a sophomore, I averaged only eight minutes a game. I am going to embrace the opportunity. I know there will be expectations of me. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy focus is to stick to the work that has gotten me to this point.\u201d<\/p>\n
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