BYU basketball makes top schools cut for five-star Obinna Ekezie Jr.
Apr 27, 2026, 4:47 PM | Updated: Apr 28, 2026, 10:43 am
PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball is among the top schools for five-star center Obinna Ekezie Jr.
The blue-chip prospect in the class of 2027 released his top-five schools through his agency, The-Team, to Joe Tipton of On3.
NEWS: 5⭐️ Obinna Ekezie Jr. is down to five schools, his agency THE·TEAM told @Rivals.
The 7-foot center is the No. 2 overall player in the 2027 class and is a potential reclass candidate.https://t.co/RiJKtyRhGe pic.twitter.com/ucc9qmaCft
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 27, 2026
Obinna Ekezie Jr. has BYU in his top five
Ekezie’s top five schools include BYU, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, and Maryland.
What’s noteworthy about Ekezie dropping a top five is that he could reclassify into the class of 2026, which would make him eligible to play for the college of his choice next season.
BYU basketball has a pressing need for size in the front court next season. The Cougars lack a true center for next season. If Ekezie reclassified and picked BYU, he could fill a significant void in Kevin Young’s third year of roster construction in Provo.
Ekezie dropped an Instagram post that said, “Where’s home?” The post included pictures from visits to all five of his top schools, accompanied by the song “I Admit” by YoungBoy and Nicki Minaj.
This past weekend, Ekezie was in Provo for an official visit to BYU. Before that, he took official visits to Arkansas and Louisville.
Ekezie plays at Southeastern Prep in Orlando, Florida. BYU extended an offer to him in the summer of 2025.
He averaged 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game this past season as a junior for Southeastern Prep.
Ekezie Jr. is the son of former NBA and Maryland Terrapins player Obinna Ekezie. The elder Ekezie played in the NBA from 1999 to 2002.
Obinna Ekezie Jr. was named the Defensive MVP at the Basketball Without Borders camp during NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles this past February.
Ekezie is currently ranked as the fourth overall prospect by the 247Sports Composite for the class of 2027. He’s rated as the No. 2 center.
BYU basketball continues to be in the mix for five-star prospects
Since Kevin Young arrived as head coach of the BYU basketball program, the Cougars have been in the mix for highly rated recruits. The Cougars landed No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, AJ Dybantsa, who went on to be the nation’s leading scorer this past season.
Dybantsa is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Then in the 2026 cycle, BYU signed five-star Bruce Branch III from Prolific Prep, who is viewed as a potential NBA Lottery pick in 2027.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL 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.
