No. 13 Girls' Recruit Jayla Forbes Commits to Texas

Jayla Forbes, the No. 13 player and second-ranked post in the girls' SC Next class of 2027, announced Thursday that she has committed to Texas. Forbes is the fifth five-star of the class of 2027 to commit to a program for the 2027-28 season and Texas' first commitment for the 2027 recruiting cycle, ESPN reported.

She chose Texas over Notre Dame, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, California and Mississippi State. "The opportunity to compete in one of the best conferences in college basketball and challenge myself against the highest level of competition is something that I know I wanted early in my process," Forbes told ESPN.

"Coach [Vic] Schaefer has a proven blueprint for developing post players and helping them reach their full potential, and that's something I want to be a part of.

Forbes plans to transfer from Montverde Academy to IMG Academy for her final year of high school. She is mobile for her size, with good hands, dexterity around the rim and an ability to stretch the floor out into and occasionally beyond the midrange, ESPN reported. She has become more assertive offensively and can dominate the paint defensively in a variety of ways.

Forbes is currently averaging 16.2 points and 9 rebounds per game on the Nike EYBL circuit with Her Elite while shooting 64.6% from the field and 79.2% from the free throw line in just over 20 minutes per game. She was part of Team USA that won the U18 FIBA AmeriCup last month in Irapuato, Mexico.

Forbes took an unofficial visit to Texas in early February 2026 and has her official visit set for September 2026.

Texas finished the 2025-26 season with a second consecutive trip to the Final Four.