BYU Basketball Lands Commitment From Five-Star Bruce Branch III
Mar 3, 2026, 1:48 PM | Updated: 7:02 pm
PROVO, Utah – Bruce Branch III, a five-star recruit in the class of 2026, has announced his commitment to BYU basketball.
Branch made his commitment to BYU on ESPN’s “NBA Today” with host Malika Andrews.
The moment Bruce Branch III (@bkbranch3) made his commitment official to BYU. pic.twitter.com/5auXHNzMXB
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 3, 2026
Bruce Branch III commits to BYU Basketball
The 6-foot-7, 190-pound prospect is rated as the eighth-overall prospect in the class of 2026 by the 247Sports Composite.
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Branch was previously a member of the class of 2027, where he was the No. 1 overall recruit in the country.
The 17-year-old standout out of Prolific Prep picked BYU over USC. Those were the only two programs that were able to host him on an official visit.
A native of Gilbert, Arizona, Branch took his official visit to BYU in January, during a game against Arizona.
The addition of Branch gives BYU a third consecutive recruiting cycle with a five-star prospect. It started with Egor Demin, followed by AJ Dybantsa, and now Branch.
Five-star Bruce Branch III here at the Marriott Center for BYU vs. Arizona. pic.twitter.com/pQmEsl3BaT
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) January 27, 2026
Demin emerged as an NBA lottery pick with the Brooklyn Nets after his one season at BYU. Dybantsa has been the nation’s leading scorer during his freshman campaign under Kevin Young.
Dybantsa is now projected as a top-two NBA draft pick.
Branch has been projected by many draft analysts as a potential top-10 pick in the 2027 NBA draft.
An elite catch-and-shoot prospect, Branch should fit in well with the type of players who have thrived under Kevin Young in both the NBA and at BYU.
Branch, who has a 7-foot-2 wingspan, concluded his high school career with Prolific Prep in Florida. He helped lead Prolific Prep, alongside fellow five-star Caleb Holt, to an undefeated 21-0 record in the Grind Session.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
