Legacy Recruit Notebook: Son of Marcus Spears commits to Texas

As the 2026-27 high school sports season draws closer, some recruits continue to stamp legacies in their strong athletic families.

Back in December, High School On SI compiled a list of student-athletes with ties to professional athletes. Updates were provided on June 20, July 1 and July 3.

Here are some more recent announcements with connections to the NFL, the WNBA and more:

Marcus Spears Jr., Dynamic Prep (TX), 2026 (PF)

Spears Jr – a 6-10, five-star basketball recruit and one of the top power forwards in the country – committed and signed with the Texas Longhorns last Friday, July 10.

The Frisco, Texas native reclassified to the Class of 2026 and is now set to join the Longhorns for the 2026-27 season. Spears Jr. received 26 Division I offers – including Alabama, Arizona, Houston, Michigan, Tennessee, Villanova and more.

Coming from a strong athletic family, Spears Jr.’s father – Marcus Spears – is an LSU alum and played in the NFL from 2005 to 2013 for the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens. Spears is currently an NFL analyst for ESPN, appearing on shows like First Take, NFL Live and others.

Spears Jr.’s mother, Aiysha Smith, played for LSU from 2001 to 2003. Smith was picked seventh overall by the Washington Mystics in the 2003 WNBA Draft.

Macaria “Cari” Spears, Marcus’ sister, is a junior standout and All-American outside hitter for the Texas women’s volleyball team. Spears Jr. is now a Longhorn like his sister.

“My recruiting skills are really, really good. I’ve been working on it,” Cari told Cory Mose of KVUE News before Marcus committed to Texas. “I want him to go to UT and I think it would be so fun, but I want him to go where he wants to go and where he feels will be the best experience for him.”

Spears Jr. played for Dynamic Prep, which is operated by former NBA player Jermaine O'Neal, since his freshman year. Marcus averaged 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore in the 2024-25 season, and had 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a junior.

Playing for Drive Nation in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, Spears Jr. averaged 20 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

Paisios Polamalu, St. Augustine (CA), 2027 (RB/DB)

Initial reports had Paisios, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu, being heavily recruited by his father’s alma mater at USC.

However, Paisios committed to Stanford football in early July. Paisios – a 3-star recruit and a 5-9, 190-pound safety out of San Diego, California – chose the Cardinal over Arizona and USC.

Polamalu ran for 1,530 yards and 19 touchdowns on 250 carries and had three receiving scores at St. Augustine in 2025. On defense, Polamalu recorded 108 tackles, a sack, six interceptions, 10 pass deflections, two caused fumbles, a fumble recovery and two blocked field goal attempts.

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