BYU's Kevin Young leads the charge as top college coaches race to scout No. 1 prospect AJ Dybantsa

AJ Dybantsa, the top recruit of the 2025 class, has been in the news all summer long as he inches closer to his final college decision. In August, the forward narrowed his choices to seven schools: North Carolina, BYU, Kansas, Auburn, Alabama, Baylor and Kansas State.

On Wednesday, On3's Joe Tipton revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that the recruitment process just got more rigorous as coaches can now travel to see the prospects.

"BYU head coach Kevin Young and three assistants were in for AJ Dybantsa, the country's No. 1 player, earlier today, sources tell @On3Recruits. A Kansas assistant was also in for Dybantsa. Today is the first day college coaches can hit the road and see recruits," Tipton wrote.

After spending time at Saint Sebastian's School and Prolific Prep, Dybantsa will play his final high school season in Utah Prep. Speaking of Utah, it seems like there is a possibility that the 6-foot-9 wing might stay in the state for his collegiate career.

"After my unofficial visit and conversations with Coach [Kevin Young], he can bring me in and play me like a pro with his knowledge of the NBA with the [Phoenix] Suns and taking it to BYU. He also mentioned he coached Joel Embiid. He knows what he's talking about. It's a big campus and facility," Dybantsa said in an interview with ESPN.

According to On3, BYU leads the race as the most likely destination for Dybantsa — with a 20.3% probability.

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AJ Dybantsa reveals his criteria for picking a school

Dybantsa received offers from nearly 30 schools before narrowing it down to seven. He is set to take more official visits in the succeeding months as he prepares to make his final decision in February. The forward shared his criteria for selecting a final school.

"I'm looking to build a relationship with a head coach who doesn't sugarcoat anything, but we can still have that bond both on and off the court," Dybantsa said via ESPN. "[We can] talk about things on and off the court and play to my strengths while helping me with my weaknesses."

When asked if NIL would play a role in the final choice, his father, Anicet "Ace" Dybantsa, chimed in.

"It's a factor, but it's not the reason we are picking a school. We left out schools that have a lot of money. A.J. will go where he feels he can have the most success on the court."

What school should AJ Dybantsa choose? Let us know in the comments section below.