SPOTTED: No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa attends BYU vs. Arizona game as part of his official visit
The No. 1 high school recruit for the Class of 2025, AJ Dybantsa, attended the college football game between the BYU Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats as part of his official visit to BYU on Saturday.
Dybantsa, seen as a future top NBA draft pick, was on the sidelines of the game and had a chance to chat with Cougar alumni Steve Young and Puka Nacua.
Young, born in Salt Lake City, played for BYU from 1980-1983 and was a three-time NFL champion with the San Francisco 49ers. Nacua, a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams, played for two seasons with BYU from 2021-2022.
Dybantsa, had a prior visit to BYU, albeit an unofficial one, in June. The 6-foot-9 Brockton, Massachusetts native had official visits to Kansas State, Kansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Baylor and Auburn the past few months.
Dybantsa is set to play for Utah Prep in the 2024-25 season along with Team USA teammate and ESPN Top 50 player JJ Mandaquit, who accompanied him on his weekend visit to BYU.
AJ Dybantsa discusses BYU visit with JJ Mandaquit
AJ Dybantsa on Saturday shared about his experiences in visiting prospective schools over the last few weeks. He said he would reveal his college commitment in February.
Dybantsa told The Salt Lake Tribune that it was great to see his teammate JJ Mandaquit join him during his visit to BYU.
“That just happened to be the same weekend. We wanted to schedule every visit based off of the timing the school had. And this was one of the only few available weekends. And JJ happened to be on it. So somebody we know sounds good," he said.
BYU coach Kevin Young, who previously worked as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, helped facilitate the prospect's visit by connecting with his parents. Young mentioned his experience working with NBA stars like Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, which led to a meeting and ultimately convinced AJ Dybantsa's father to bring his son to Provo.
The BYU coach has laid the groundwork for Dybantsa's possible commitment, having brought in potential NBA lottery picks Egor Demin and Kanon Catchings