Bruce Branch III — the No. 1 prospect in the 2027 high school class — announced Saturday that he’s reclassifying to the 2026 class, making him eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-7 guard played up a level this summer on the Adidas 3SSB circuit and averaged 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 blocks with Compton Magic (California). This move immediately places him in the conversation for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. He’ll compete with current top-ranked seniors Tyran Stokes, Cameron Williams (Duke commit) and Christian Collins, along with a few others.

“Bruce Branch III reclassifying to 2026 is an interesting move, but the pathway is clear for him,” an NBA Western Conference scout said regarding the move. “His tools, mindset and trajectory line up for a major rise, and it’s easy to see him emerging as a top-three player in that class. A lot of upside and consistently getting better.”

Branch’s summer only strengthened his rising trajectory. He impressed at the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy — earning All-Camp Team honors and the Rising Star award — and caught the attention of international scouts as he went toe-to-toe with some of the best players around the world, who were up to two years older.

“This obviously was a strategic move in the planning for a while now,” an NBA Eastern Conference scout said. “It’s straight out of the Cooper Flagg playbook. He’ll be super young, 19 years old for his entire rookie season. By moving up a year he’s legitimately a top-three prospect, and you can make the case for him being No. 1 overall. He’s a great kid off the court, a hybrid athlete with IQ, playmaking skills and will be a switchable defender.”

He capped the summer by transferring to Prolific Prep (Florida) for his final high school season. The program’s alumni include NBA players Jalen Green, Gary Trent Jr., Yves Missi and Adem Bona, as well as the projected No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.

Reclassifying has become a trend across college hoops over the past few years. Since the name, image and likeness era began in 2021, 21 prospects have opted to reclassify. Babatunde Oladotun, the top-ranked 2027 player by 247Sports and ESPN, reclassified to the 2026 class in August, and current Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg reclassified from 2025 to 2024. Dybantsa, originally a 2026 star recruit, is a freshman for the BYU Cougars.

What makes Branch special?

The 2027 high school class isn’t viewed as strong as the 2026 class. Reclassifying allows him to earn recognition for playing against stronger competition as he contends to be 2027’s No. 1 draft pick.

Over the summer, he sharpened his perimeter game, knocking down 39 percent of his 3s on five attempts per night. He’s fluid with the ball in his hands, a confident midrange creator, and his footwork and feel for the game make him just as dangerous away from the ball. Add in his 7-foot-1 wingspan, and Branch becomes an intriguing defensive prospect with real two-way upside.

Who lands Branch?

That remains undetermined, but he holds several high-major offers. Schools to monitor going forward include Arizona, BYU, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisville and USC.