College basketball is back, with teams like Florida, Duke, Illinois, and Arizona projected to be amongst the best. Texas is another team to watch, as Marcus Spears Jr -- No. 8 recruit in the 2026 high school class -- headlines an impressive roster. Below we take a look at five NBA Draft prospects to watch on Texas this upcoming season.

Marcus Spears Jr.

Spears Jr. is a 6-foot-9, 205-pound freshman and was originally a top-three recruit in the 2027 high school class prior to reclassifying. He's the son of former NFL player and current NFL analyst Marcus Spears and, since players must be 19 during the calendar year of the draft, Spears Jr. is not eligible to be drafted until the 2028 NBA Draft.

To start, Spears Jr. moves well for his size and has the physical tools, including a 7-foot-2 wingspan, to develop into an NBA forward/big. One clear strength is his ability to run the floor and handle the ball in transition. In the halfcourt, he's already developing footwork in the post and is capable of capitalizing on mismatches. He has touch around the rim, has extended his game to develop a post fadeaway jumper, and is a capable midrange shooter as well. Spears Jr. is also a developing playmaker who can read the floor out of doubles.

From the jump, he'll likely be able to provide value as a play finisher from the dunker spot. Additionally, Spears Jr. could thrive in the short roll -- combining his ability to put the ball on the floor at times, shoot from the midrange, and make the correct read as a passer. While he already showcases physicality at times, continuing to get stronger will help him overall. His development as a three-point shooter will be key to monitor for his development, and would allow him to be featured in more lineups in the NBA (such as playing alongside non-floor spacing 5s).

Defensively, he moves well for his size, has shown flashes of weakside rim protection, and is fairly active off-ball with clear potential in this area due to his mobility and length allowing him to cover ground. He has significant defensive potential, especially if he continues to get stronger. He's a projected lottery pick in the 2028 NBA Draft, and scouts will have two seasons to evaluate him at Texas.

Austin Goosby

Goosby was a five-star and No. 24 overall recruit in the 2026 high school class and played alongside Spears Jr. at Dynamic Prep.

To start, Goosby offers positional size. In addition to being 6-foot-5, he has a 6-foot-9 wingspan and has shown verticality when driving to the basket. Offensively, he makes quick decisions, consistent connective passes, and has also shown flashes of secondary playmaking. If he's able to consistently space the floor, Goosby has high upside offensively. He's also a defensive playmaker who's aware off ball and reads passing lanes, but his on-ball defense will be important to watch this season. Continuing to get stronger will be key as well.

Goosby is currently projected as a late first round pick in 2027 NBA Draft, but his draft projection varies fairly widely.

Isaiah Johnson

Johnson is a 6-foot-1 guard who had one of the best freshman seasons in the country last year. With Colorado, Johnson averaged 16.9 points, three assists, 2.9 rebounds, and one steal per game while shooting 64.1% at the rim (142 attempts), 34.9% on non-rim twos (43 attempts), 37.8% from three (148 attempts | 8.6 three point attempts per 100 possessions), and 82.1% from the free throw line (195 attempts). He was an offensive engine for the Buffaloes, as he was unassisted on 54.9% of his made field goals while assistig an estimated 18.6% of his teammates' made field goals when on the floor last season.

His production led to him being 20th in Box Plus-Minus among freshmen who played at least 40% of their team's minutes this past season.

David Punch

The 6-foot-7, 245-pound junior averaged 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, two assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game at TCU as a sophomore last season. He shot 58.5% at the rim (205 attempts), 45.6% on non-rim twos (103 attempts), but only 23.9% from three (46 attempts) and 65.3% at the line (170 attempts). Additionally, Punch recorded an impressive 7.5 offensive rebound percentage, a 13.8 assist percentage, a 2.6 steal percentage, and a 7.4 block percentage last season.

Punch is a versatile defender with a combination of strength, physicality, lateral mobility, and length that allows him to guard bigs, forwards, and wings. He offers a level of rim protection and is an impactful rebounder as well. His assist percentage indicates a level of baseline feel and playmaking, but continue to improve in this area is something to monitor this season. If Punch could develop a consistent outside shot, he has clear NBA upside.

Matas Vokietaitis

The 7-footer had a productive sophomore season with Texas, averaging 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while recording an impressive 0.95 free-throw rate and making 66.8% of his attempts at the rim last season (247 attempts). The size, strength, and ability to draw fouls and finish at the rim are clear. Areas to monitor include how his rim protection develops (3.6 block percentage last season), his mobility, and his tendency to foul at times. He's an NBA prospect to watch this season.