Bruce Branch III announced that he will skip to the class of 2026! Competing for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA draft

Bruce Branch III is the No. 2 player on ESPN's high school rankings in the class of 2027. He announced that he will skip to the class of 2026 and will graduate from Florida Prolific Prep next spring, and then he can play college basketball in the fall.

Branch hasn't taken any official visits yet and hasn't really begun recruiting, but Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville, Southern Cal, BYU, Arizona, Houston and Miami are all pursuing him, and he's expected to make a decision next spring.

Lanchi said in the interview: "I want to take it step by step. I want to focus on our season and my team first. I want to win the national championship in the Chipotle National High School Invitational Tournament."

Blanche, out Born on October 24, 2008, he turned 17 last month, which means that he will be eligible to participate in the 2027 NBA draft after skipping a grade. In a draft class that is far less deep or talented than the 2026 draft class, Branch has a chance to become a candidate for the top pick. Likewise, he has a reason to be No. 1 on SC Next's top 100 list. Forward Tyran Stokes has held the No. 1 ranking in the nation in the Class of 2026 for much of the past few years.

‍ According to Synergy data, in the spring and summer of this year, Branch represented the Compton Magic in the Adidas 3SSB competition, averaging 15.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, and shooting 39% from three-point range.