Son of Former Lakers Forward to Visit Texas Longhorns

One of the nation's top 2026 recruits will visit the Texas Longhorns.

Jan 19, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Trevor Ariza (1) controls the ball against /the Indiana Pacers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Although football season is on the horizon, before you know it, basketball season will soon be here, and Texas Longhorns fans will have a plethora of choices to watch.

For first-year head coach Sean Miller, the grind hasn't stopped even though it's the middle of the summer. He is scheduling multiple visits for top recruits around the country, including Tajh Ariza, the number eight player in the 2026 recruiting class.

According to 247Sports, Ariza will visit four schools in the fall. He will visit Oregon on September 6, North Carolina on September 12, USC on September 20, and Texas. While there is no official date listed for his trip to the Forty Acres, it could be assumed it would come the weekend after his USC visit.

Following His Father's Footsteps

Tajh is the son of former NBA pro Trevor Ariza, who played 18 seasons in the NBA. Trevor was a second-round pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, selected by the Knicks. He would go on to win an NBA title with the Lakers in 2009 and become a journeyman, playing for 10 teams total in his tenure.

Trevor spent his lone season in college at UCLA. He was a five-star prospect coming out of high school, where he earned the California Player of the Year award. Now, Tajh is following close in his footsteps, playing high school basketball at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California.

Just like his father, Tajh is also ranked as a five-star recruit, and comes in at the No. 7player in the country according to the 247Sports composite. As the No. 2 small forward in his class, Ariza holds a lengthy list of offers, including Kentucky and Kansas.

Ariza will have plenty of eyes from scouts on him this year as he plays his first season with St. John Bosco, where he is the third-highest ranked recruit on his own team. He will share the court with Brandon McCoy and Cristian Collins, who are ranked as the number three and number four recruits in the 2026 class.

As of now, the Longhorns have yet to receive a commitment for the 2026 cycle, as have many other teams around the SEC. The conference has only had three teams get a commitment so far. For Sean Miller, securing a player of Ariza's caliber will help usher in a new era for the Longhorns, as they have struggled recruiting in recent years.

While no official date is set for Tajh Ariza's visit to the Forty Acres, an announcement should be near.