Freshman Who Could Become One-and-Done Prospects in 2027 NBA Draft

Even in a talented 2026 NBA Draft class, players from outside the top group of recruits worked their way into the top five picks.

Keaton Wagler, the No. 5 overall pick in 2026, was a four-star recruit and the No. 150 player in the 2025 cycle, according to 247Sports.

While most one-and-done prospects are highly touted recruits, there are multiple players in each class who aren’t five-stars in their high school class. In addition to Wagler in the 2026 class, Ebuka Okorie also earned a spot in the first round after being rated the No. 119 player in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports.

Here are a few players from the 2026 recruiting class who could follow a similar path to the 2027 NBA Draft.

Latrell Allmond, Oklahoma State

Rated the No. 32 overall player and No. 7 power forward in the 2026 cycle, Allmond is set to be a key piece for the Cowboys during the 2026-27 college basketball season.

Listed at 6-foot-8, the four-star recruit likely projects as an undersized power forward in college, but has athletic traits that could make him a solid role player in the NBA.

Allmond performed well during Oklahoma State’s recent scrimmages in Puerto Rico and could earn a spot in the 2027 draft with a strong freshman season.

Maxime Meyer, Duke

Meyer was rated the No. 99 player and No. 14 center in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports.

Listed at 7-foot-1 and 225 pounds, the four-star prospect hails from Toronto and helped Team Canada take down the United States in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup title game. During the event, Meyer averaged 9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 52.8% from the field.

The Blue Devils’ big man will have to compete with a handful of other players like Drew Scharnowski, Cameron Williams, Patrick Ngongba II and Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje for time on the floor. If Meyer can crack Jon Scheyer’s rotation, though, he will have a chance to play his way into the 2027 NBA Draft discussion.

Dakari Spear, Texas Tech

Rated the No. 30 overall player and No. 5 shooting guard in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports, Spear joins the Red Raiders after the team lost multiple rotation players.

Spear will likely be tasked with helping Texas Tech replace the production that Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell provided Grant McCasland’s team.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, Spear averaged 19.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 50.4% from the field and 40% from 3-point range in the Overtime Elite league during the 2025-26 season.