As August approaches, the busy world of high school recruiting is entering a critical stretch. Visits are being scheduled, lists are being cut and final decisions are being made. In the past week alone, three four-star prospects in the Class of 2027 have announced their commitments: 6-foot-1 point guard Tyrone Jamison to Baylor, 6-foot-2 combo guard Oneal Delancy to Houston, and 6-foot-5 forward Isaiah Santos to Minnesota.
With most of the top 100 still on the board, there will be lots of activity to monitor in the coming months. Below are updates on four highly coveted recruits, including a pair of five-stars from The Hoop State.
CJ Rosser returns to Chapel Hill
Rosser, the No. 1-ranked player in the Class of 2027, took his second unofficial visit to UNC last Wednesday. A native of Rocky Mount, N.C., a small town about an hour-and-a-half drive from Chapel Hill, Rosser first visited the school in December 2025 when Hubert Davis was still at the helm. He was quickly re-offered by Michael Malone when the former Denver Nuggets coach took over in early April.
Standing 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Rosser has a rare blend of size, skill and mobility. His two-way upside makes him perhaps the most intriguing NBA prospect in the high school ranks. At the FIBA U17 World Cup in June, he averaged 16.4 points and 3.7 rebounds to help Team USA claim gold.
Given Malone’s NBA experience and UNC’s proximity to Rocky Mount, it makes sense that the Tar Heels have emerged as a top contender for Rosser. The big man has also taken unofficials to Florida State, Louisville and Kentucky.
“I think that any school that gets CJ has to be a family environment,” Kasenda Young, one of Rosser’s AAU coaches, told Hoops HQ. “His family’s super important to him. His mom and dad are super involved with him. His mom actually played at a high level, so she knows basketball really well. The person that gets him is going to be the person that has a relationship with his mother and father. It’s very important that they are people who keep their word — say what they mean, mean what they say.
“It’s got to be somebody who has a track record of development (with) players like him and can understand what that entails and understand that he’s NBA bound,” Young continued. “I can see him going to a couple of different places, but it’s going to all come down to that relationship more than the basketball.”
Rosser is expected to narrow his list sometime in August before taking official visits. He has yet to announce a timeline for his decision.
The crowded race for King Gibson
Another five-star prospect from North Carolina is being heavily pursued by in-state schools: 6-foot-4 combo guard King Gibson. The Greensboro native, who played alongside Rosser for Team United on the Nike EYBL circuit, is ranked No. 5 in the Class of 2027. His recruitment picked up steam amid an AAU season in which he averaged 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three. “When I think about his NBA comparison, I think about a guy like Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander),” Team United coach Kasenda Young told Hoops HQ. “I think about a big guard who can command respect by getting paint touches, gets to the foul line and can hit the three-ball to a point where you have to guard him out there.”
Gibson has stayed in close touch with several Power Five programs, including NC State, UConn, Arkansas, Alabama, Michigan, Louisville, LSU and Baylor. He has yet to schedule any official visits but did take unofficials to NC State and Michigan. As he told Hoops HQ, the plan is to start trimming his list in the fall.
Asked to share the most important factors weighing into his decision, Gibson said, “Definitely the coaching staff being transparent with me, telling me what I need to do to get to my goal, because everybody wants to go to the NBA. The skill development, going to a school that’s going to help me get better over the next couple years. And definitely the play style — you want to go to a school where you can thrive. I’m not really a play-slow player, so getting out in transition, up and down.”
While it isn’t essential that he remain close to home, Gibson admitted that the possibility is enticing. “I wouldn’t say it matters, per se, but being a North Carolina kid playing at a North Carolina school, that definitely feels good,” he said. “My parents and I talk about that all the time, just being a North Carolina kid and being a hometown hero. So having that status, that definitely speaks volumes. I wouldn’t say it’s at the forefront, but it’s definitely an option.”
High School Recruiting Buzz: Where the Top Colleges Stand
As recruiting season heats up, here’s how Kentucky, Houston, Louisville and other high-major schools are faring with the Class of ’27
Reese Alston contemplates reclassifying
It has been a massive summer for 6-foot-1 point guard Reese Alston, a native of Houston and the son of former NBA player Rafer Alston. After shining at the NBPA Top 100 Camp and lighting up the PUMA NXTPro circuit, Reese has reaffirmed his status as a top-10 player in the Class of 2027.
As for his recruitment, a lot of options remain on the table, including reclassifying to 2026 and playing college basketball next season. His father mentioned that idea publicly and it has garnered momentum ever since.
Louisville, Wichita State, Houston and Kentucky are heavily in the mix for the five-star floor general. LSU has also been rumored as a possibility, with a reclassification in play. Alston has already taken official visits to Louisville (Dec. 13), Purdue (Jan. 24) and Wichita State (Mar. 7).
Should he remain in the 2027 class, his recruitment could turn into a battle between in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville. Both Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey spent considerable time watching Alston play on the Puma circuit this summer. Pope has a longtime connection to Alston’s dad, as the two were teammates on the Milwaukee Bucks from 2000-02. Despite Kentucky’s aggressive push, Louisville has maintained a strong position in the race as well.
Obviously a lot rides on Alston’s reclassification decision — the schools with open spots would immediately emerge as the favorites. But it seems as though the powerhouses chasing him will do whatever it takes to land him for either 2026-27 or 2027-28.
Micah Gordon prepares to cut his extensive list
Gordon’s stock has risen since May thanks to his stellar play at the Pangos All-American Camp and on the EYBL circuit. The 5-foot-10 point guard, ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2027, averaged 18.1 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals for the PSA Cardinals. At Peach Jam, one of the top recruiting events of the year, Gordon had multiple 20-plus point games.
The New Jersey native added numerous high-major offers in June, including UConn, Villanova, UCLA, Georgetown and Auburn. Following his breakout AAU season, there are more than 20 programs in hot pursuit. Gordon told Hoops HQ that West Virginia, Maryland and TCU are among that mix.
While he continues to hear from new schools, Gordon is also preparing to cut down his list soon. He will begin taking visits in the fall, with UConn and Villanova likely to be two of his destinations, among others. Expect there to be significant buzz about Gordon’s recruitment in the weeks to come, as he has emerged as a major priority for several programs.
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