Marcus Spears Jr., Son of ESPN Analyst, Named No. 1 Hoops Prospect in Class of 2027

He's already received 13 offers from collegiate programs.
ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears's son has been named the top basketball prospect of the Class of 2027.
ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears's son has been named the top basketball prospect of the Class of 2027. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

ESPN announced the new No. 1 men's basketball prospect in its recruiting class of 2027 on Thursday, with Marcus Spears Jr. earning that honor.

His name may sound familiar, even if you aren't a follower of high school basketball, because he is the son of ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears. Both of Spears Jr.'s parents were standout basketball players in their own rights, too. The former NFL star was the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year for men's basketball in high school, and his wife Alysha Smith, is a former first-round WNBA pick.

Spears Jr. is competing at Dynamic Prep in Irving, Texas. He's a 6' 8" power forward, ranked as the No. 1 PF in the country for his class.

The previous No. 1 prospect of the Class of 2027, Babatunde Oladotun, recently reclassified to the Class of 2026, opening up that top spot.

Spears has already received offers from 13 college programs, according to 247 Sports. His most recent offers were from Kentucky, USC and Houston, among others.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.