Arizona Falling Behind With Five-Star Small Forward

Arizona is reportedly falling behind on one of the top recruits in the 2026 class.

Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Arizona and head coach Tommy Lloyd have had an up-and-down 2026 recruiting cycle. The Wildcats started hot, securing a commitment from four-star small forward Cam Holmes. However, Arizona missed out on its top target when five-star power forward Cam Williams ultimately chose Duke.

Now it seems the Wildcats are once again falling behind on a key target, as another five-star forward that Arizona has been targeting reportedly has more interest in other schools.

Wildcats' Losing Ground on Five-Star Foward

On Nov. 25, Arizona on SI reported that Bruce Branch III, a five-star small forward who plays for Prolific Prep High School in Florida and is from Gilbert, Arizona, would be reclassifying from the 2027 class to the 2026 class. 

NEWS: Bruce Branch III, the No. 1 player in the class of 2027, has reclassified to the Class of 2026, he tells @247Sports.

Story: https://t.co/MRN1W5TRRE pic.twitter.com/ShhxvKpuZh

— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) November 22, 2025

Branch had previously been ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2027 class, and with his reclassification to 2026, he remained a five-star recruit. Rivals' industry rankings list him as the No. 5 overall player nationally, the No. 2 small forward prospect.

Arizona had been targeting the 6'7" small forward throughout his initial recruitment process and was expected by many to be a contender to land Branch now that he's reclassified. However, on Dec. 3, Rivals' Joe Tipton reported that this may not be the case. 

Nov 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) scores a three pointer during the first half of the game against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

According to Tipton, Arizona has fallen behind in the chase to land Branch, and three schools have emerged as the favorites to win the five-star's recruitment: BYU, Duke, and USC.

1. "Last week, I discussed where several schools stood in his recruitment — BYU, Kansas, Duke, Louisville, USC, Arizona, and Kentucky," Tipton wrote. "After digging a bit deeper, it sounds like three programs have separated themselves a bit in the early going: BYU, Duke, and USC."

Nov 7, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd watches the game from the sidelines during the first half of the game against the Utah Tech Trailblazers at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

• He continued, "BYU has made him a major priority. Duke would be a real threat if they decide to ramp things up. And I’m told Branch is intrigued by USC."

While this isn't great news for Arizona, it's not necessarily the end of the world either. Branch is still relatively early in his recruitment process and is unlikely to make a decision for at least a few months. If Lloyd and his staff decide to make a push for the young small forward, there's a strong chance the Wildcats could end up contending for him.

Apr 2, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; A general view of the Arizona Wildcats and Connecticut logos at the Alamodome prior to the national semifinals of the women's Final Four of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Small forward isn't the biggest priority for Arizona, having already secured Holmes. Still, Branch is a highly talented and versatile recruit that the Wildcats don't want to miss out on. 

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