AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class and one of the most touted NBA prospects of the last decade, has committed to BYU, he announced Tuesday morning on First Take.

Dybantsa chose the Cougars over fellow finalists Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina.

This makes Dybantsa BYU’s highest-ranked recruit in program history. He is the Cougars’ third signee of 2025, joining four-star center Xavion Staton (No. 31, according to the 247Sports Composite) and four-star forward Chamberlain Burgess (No. 123).

The 6-foot-2 Dybantsa, who is playing his senior season at Utah Prep, has long been considered a BYU leader, especially after the Cougars hired former NBA assistant Kevin Young as head coach this offseason. Given Young’s professional experience, Dybantsa’s decision to play in-state in his final season, and BYU’s vast NIL resources – Dybantsa is said to have a record-breaking NIL yield, according to industry talk – the industry expectation has always been that The best recruit in the country is hired up in Provo, Utah.

But Dybantsa’s path to this point has become more complicated, especially in the last few weeks. Although everything seemed to be in BYU’s favor, both Alabama and North Carolina made strong efforts to land the jumbo wing last month. Dybantsa’s father, Ace, was at UNC’s home game against Alabama last week, a 94-79 loss.

However, Dybantsa ultimately chose the Cougars, becoming the program’s second five-star star in as many seasons. The first was current freshman Egor Demin, a 6-foot-2 Russian point guard who only committed to the program in late May. Denim leads BYU in points and assists and is expected to be a lottery pick in next summer’s NBA draft.

However, neither of them reaches the level of Dybantsa. As a prospect, he’s up in the air: at least in the same stratosphere as Duke freshman Cooper Flagg — the expected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — and Duke newcomer Cameron Boozer, the No. 2 player in the 2025 class. Some Evaluators have even claimed that of the three, they are the most likely to bet on Dybantsa becoming the best pro in the long term.

The appeal for BYU to sign a player like Dybantsa is obvious. His presence alone doesn’t make the Cougars national title contenders, but it does give them a significantly higher spot in the Big 12, one of the deepest conferences in the country. It’s also clear that other top talent will want to come to Provo to play alongside him – and given the program’s newfound NIL resources, attracting those prospects is entirely realistic.

While Dybantsa will make a net profit from his commitment to the Cougars, BYU’s investment will likely go further; If Dybantsa becomes a future All-Star, the school will reap the future dividends that come from him playing a season in Provo.

From a basketball perspective, Dybantsa should immediately become one of the best players in the college game, similar to how Flagg became a National Player of the Year candidate in his first month at Duke. Dybantsa is a more offensive talent than Flagg, and while Flagg may be more versatile, Dybantsa’s scoring and shooting potential as a huge winger is unmatched.

Combined with Young’s NBA experience – his last NBA stint before BYU was in Phoenix with Kevin Durant, who Dybantsa previously trained with and whose game he resembles – Dybantsa should have no trouble making an immediate impact at the college level.

What is Dybantsa’s NBA outlook?

Dybantsa is currently viewed by most NBA scouts and executives as the best candidate to join the NBA since Victor Wembanyama in 2023. Undoubtedly, Dybantsa will enter the 2026 NBA Draft cycle as the likely No. 1 pick. His ceiling is immense and he plays a role that NBA teams are crying out for.

Dybantsa is a tall 6-foot-9 shot artist on the wing with a huge physical frame. He has a wingspan of 6-foot-11 and a standing reach of 8-foot-10, overall measurements that compare well to those of Celtics star winger Jayson Tatum.

Similar to Tatum, Dybantsa is already a monster pull-up threat. He has a tremendous high release point, the ability to change direction and adjust his body on the fly, and can block long-range shots from defenders. Every time you see him play, you feel like he added something new from the jump to separate himself from the defenders.

Additionally, Dybantsa has the pure athleticism in running and jumping to explode in transition and attack the ring with authority and power. When locked down, Dybantsa is also a monster defensive player who can switch to a number of different player types and wreak havoc.

The top pick of the 2026 NBA Draft is considered quite strong, with Boozer and Darryn Peterson also being exciting scouts. But Dybantsa stands above that group and is currently viewed by NBA personnel as a better star than Flagg. Of course, Dybantsa will have to prove what he’s capable of to maintain this position, but it’s hard to overstate how eager the NBA is to evaluate him next season. — Sam Vecenie, NBA Draft senior writer

(Photo: Altan Gocher / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)