Bo Odgen is staying home.
The Austin Westlake product grew up a Texas Longhorns fan because his father, Chris Odgen, played for the Longhorns under former head coach Rick Barnes and now serves as the program’s general manager, and that helped convince the 6’5, 195-pounder to commit to Texas on Tuesday over Barnes’ Tennessee Volunteers and the Purdue Boilermakers in an announcement at his high school.
Odgen is the first pledge for new head coach Sean Miller on the Forty Acres and also the first pledge in
the 2026 recruiting class for the Longhorns.
Gonzaga, Kansas, Providence, SMU, Stanford, Virginia, and Virginia Tech were also among the schools to offer Odgen.
A consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 37 overall prospect and the No. 17 small forward, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Odgen spent his first three years of high school at St. Michael’s in Austin before transferring to Westlake for his senior season.
Here’s the 247Sports evaluation of Odgen, who is known as one of the best shooters in his class:
Ogden is bigger-bodied scoring wing who put up 20 points per game on the 3SSB circuit on 47% shooting from the floor, 46% from behind the arc, and 87% from the free-throw line. He took over 7 threes per game and shot 49% on catch-and-shoot attempts, including a whopping 58% when he was unguarded.
While the long-distance shooting has evolved into his biggest weapon, he’s far from a one-dimensional threat. He’s crafty, can take smaller defenders into the mid-post, and has the high release to score over top of them with his pull-up. He’s also tough, physical, and has a real knack for getting himself to the free-throw line. He’s making strides as a handler, passer, and decision-maker, but can be turnover prone at times (3.1 assists vs. 3.2 turnovers). He can still lack some quickness and length with his first-step, but is also gradually putting more pressure on the rim.
Physically, he was a bit of an early bloomer, who was bigger and stronger than most of his peers at a younger age. His quickness and athleticism have improved though. He’s finishing plays well above the rim in the open floor, more of a legitimate wing on the defensive end, and should fill-out nicely in a college weight room. He’s also an excellent perimeter rebounder (5.8 per game). Most importantly, he’s improving at a clearly accelerated rate and seems to have a real drive to win.
