No. 1-ranked 2025 recruit AJ Dybantsa set to announce college decision

One of the most heralded college basketball recruits in recent memory – and the projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick in 2026 – is set to announce his college destination on Tuesday morning, live on ESPN’s First Take.

AJ Dybantsa, the No.1-ranked high school prospect in the 2025 class, will choose between KU, BYU, North Carolina, and Alabama. The 6-foot-9 power forward from Hurricane, Utah, took an official visit to Lawrence in early September and recently faced off against future Jayhawk Darryn Peterson.

Peterson, playing for Prolific Prep in Napa, California, defeated Dybantsa’s Utah Prep team 76-70. Peterson was sensational, delivering 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Dybantsa put up 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

When the final 2025 rankings come out, Peterson – who is currently the third ranked player in the class – may very well leapfrog Dybantsa for the No. 1 spot. But for now, the spot remains with Dybantsa and all eyes will be on him Tuesday morning to see where he elects to play his (likely) one year of college basketball.

Kansas could no doubt use Dybantsa’s talents with so many upperclassmen set to depart from this year’s squad, but Kansas appears to be “on the outside looking in,” according to 247Sports’ National Basketball Director Eric Bossi.  

It makes sense why Dybantsa may not be considering Kansas strongly. The Jayhawks already have two talented high school forwards signed for next year in five-star Bryson Tiller and four-star Samis Calderon. Along with Peterson, KU has the No. 4-ranked class in the country.

Dybantsa is also a Nike sponsored athlete, which would make it difficult for him to come play for an Adidas school like Kansas.

Regardless, stranger things have happened in the world of college recruiting, and KU has as much to offer as (if not more than) any of the finalists vying for his services.

Dybantsa will make his announcement official on ESPN starting at 9:30 a.m. CT.