BYU basketball rumored as the frontrunners for this 2027 five-star recruit

Egor Demin, AJ Dybantsa, Bruce Branch... AJ Williams?

BYU basketball is back on the hunt for five-star recruits -- as has become suddenly customary for the private LDS university from Provo, Utah -- and rumors suggest that the Cougars are currently the frontrunner for AJ Williams, the fourth-rated player in the class of 2027 and a consensus five-star recruit.

This was reported by On3's Jamie Shaw, who shared intel on Williams' recruitment in the attached article, with BYU joining Duke, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Georgia as a contender to secure the five-star's commitment.

What an incredible pattern for BYU and head coach Kevin Young. When first arriving in Provo, clean-shaven face and a calm demeanor, Young announced that he intended to make BYU the premier destination for top talent to train and develop their talents for a career in the NBA.

Though optimistic, I'm sure none realized at the time to what degree Young planned to tranform BYU basketball.

The best international recruit in the class, Egor Demin, arrived at BYU as the program's highest-rated recruit ever. He was later drafted 8th overall in the following NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets -- BYU's first draft pick (first- or second-round) since Jimmer Fredette 14 years earlier.

The following season, Young outdid himself by reeling in the number-one recruit in the class of 2025, AJ Dybantsa. Dybantsa, like Demin, had no prior affiliation with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but believed in Kevin Young's vision for his collegiate career and enrolled at BYU with no reservations.

Then, determined to stay the course, coach Young established a new normal at BYU by signing Bruce Branch III, the program's third five-star freshman recruit in as many years -- one for each year of Young's tenure at head coach.

And now his crosshairs are on AJ Williams, a 6'7" small forward whose recruiting profile includes offers from the very best programs in the nation. Among the country's greatest recruiting repertoires stands Kevin Young and BYU, a constant in the conversation for the best talent available. Though Williams' commitment is far from a done deal (don't pull out the party poppers just yet), this latest development is just another instance of outstanding work from Kevin Young and his recruiting team.

Williams was the number-one recruit in the class of 2028 before he reclassified up a grade level (not unlike Dybantsa or Branch).

BYU basketball is a player for five-star AJ Williams, but news like this is hardly surprising anymore.

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