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AJ Dybantsa, the top-ranked player in the 2025 recruiting class, is staying in Utah as he announced his commitment to BYU on ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday.
It is the first big recruiting splash for first-year BYU coach Kevin Young, who was named Mark Pope’s successor last offseason after Pope left for Kentucky.
Dybantsa, who reclassified from the 2026 recruiting class into the 2025 recruiting class last October, chose the Cougars over Alabama, Kansas and UNC.
“Just want to thank God for putting me in this position,” Dybantsa said on “First Take” before making his decision.
The 6-foot-9 strong forward, who is from Massachusetts but plays for Utah Prep, is a five-star recruit and ranked the No. 1 ranked player on 247Sports’ Composite rankings. He is also the No. 1 ranked player on ESPN’s Top 100 players for 2025.
Dybantsa is the third member of BYU’s 2025 recruiting class, joining four-star recruits Xavion Staton and Chamberlain Burgess. According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, the Cougars’ NIL package for Dybantsa was one of the reasons for his choosing to BYU.
Dybantsa is expected to be a one-and-done at BYU and one of the top prospects in the 2026 NBA draft. He won a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Men’s U16 Americas Championship with USA Basketball’s U16 National Team.
Here’s everything you need to know about Dybantsa, including why he chose the Cougars and his 247Sports’ Composite rankings:
Dybantsa chose BYU over Alabama, Kansas and UNC on Tuesday during ESPN’s “First Take.”
Asked by Stephen A. Smith, Dybantsa mentioned the reason he chose BYU was Young’s experience coaching in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns and coaching one of his favorite players in Kevin Durant.
“I mean a lot stood out on my visit, obviously coach Kevin Young there. My ultimate goal is to get to the NBA and he coached one of my favorite players, my favorite player of all time (in) Kevin Durant. And he had high praise about him,” Dybantsa said Tuesday.
“Head coach all the way down to the analytics guy, all the way to the dietitians (it’s an) all NBA staff, even a strength coach. So I mean, if it’s all NBA and I’m trying to get to the NBA, I think it’s going to be the best development program.”
According to 247Sports’ Composite ranking, Dybantsa is listed as a five-star recruit and ranked the No. 1 ranked player in the 2025 college basketball recruiting class. He is also the No. 1 ranked strong forward and the No. 1 player in the State of Utah.
Dybantsa is the highest-rated recruit in program history and the first-ever five-star high school recruit to commit to BYU, per the Cougars’ press release.
Here’s a statement from Young on Dybantsa committing to the Cougars, per BYU:
“We’re so excited to welcome AJ and his family to BYU,” Young said in a statement Tuesday. “We’ve been able to build a great relationship with him and his family and can’t wait to have them all in BYU blue. AJ is a generational talent. He’s a great young man who has a strong appetite to be the best player he can be. His versatile skill set and playmaking will seamlessly fit into our style of play. This is a great day for BYU basketball.”
(This story was updated with new information)
