Obinna Ekezie, a 7-foot defensive nightmare and five-star center in the class of 2027, has been on BYU basketball's top priority list as Kevin Young hunts down a center with sincere NBA upside to round out what's shaping up to be an even stronger roster than last season's. He recently took an official visit to campus a few days ago, and it's clear that the Cougars have a fighter's chance to land the reclassifying candidate.
But that's still a hypothetical, and until BYU nails down the ideal starting 5, there are no guarantees the Cougars can even exceed the missteps of the AJ Dybantsa year.
I've droned on and on about how badly BYU basketball needs a starting center. I've vomited the same lines, the same points, and the same names on repeat in a desperate plea to the universe to speak all of my recruiting hopes and dreams into existence. With Obinna Ekezie's announcement that he's narrowed the search down to just five schools, my delusions are being incredibly well-nourished.
Naming a top five of Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas, BYU, and Maryland, the Cougars desperately want a player of Ekezie's caliber to complete the starting lineup. Though he's currently a high school junior, he's broadly anticipated to reclassify to the class of 2026 to be eligible to start his freshman year this fall.
NEWS: 5⭐️ Obinna Ekezie Jr. is down to five schools, his agency THE·TEAM told @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 27, 2026
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
BYU need a center like Ezekie like a fish needs water. With hopes of breaking out and contending for a Big 12 Conference championship and a potential run to the Elite Eight or Final Four rounds of March Madness, last season taught Kevin Young that high-end talent isn't worth much without a strong support system around them.
If the 2nd-rated player in Rivals' 2027 class were to fill in the 5 spot, a potential starting lineup of Rob Wright III, Collin Chandler, Bruce Branch III, Jake Wahlin, and Obinna Ekezie Jr, it's hard to imagine many of the nation's teams competing with that caliber of talent.
Still, it's best not to count your prospects before they commit, and the Cougars are still anxious to round out the roster in a balanced way. Until Obinna says the magic words, don't bank on the BYU revolution.
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