Vanderbilt recruiting: 4-star Texas high school basketball star Jayden Leverett commits to Mark Byington's 2025 recruiting class

In a major recruiting win for Vanderbilt men’s basketball, Chapin High School’s Jayden Leverett, one of the top high school basketball players in Texas, announced his commitment to the Commodores on Saturday.

The 6-foot-10 center from El Paso made his decision to join Mark Byington’s 2025 recruiting class during a ceremony at his high school, where he symbolically dunked on a court adorned with the Vanderbilt logo.

Leverett, a four-star prospect, is ranked No. 140 nationally in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. He selected Vanderbilt over offers from Oklahoma State, New Mexico and Colorado.

The decision marks a significant milestone for the program, as new coach Mark Byington continues to build the Commodores’ future around top-tier talent. Vanderbilt has secured two commits for its 2025 class, with Leverett joining three-star athletic wing Jaylon Dean-Vines.

Talking about the commitment, Leverett highlighted the close bond he formed with the Vanderbilt coaching staff as a major factor in his decision.

“I liked the constant communication between me and the coach,” Leverett said. “They always came down to see me practice. They have a new coaching staff, and I liked their style of play,” he added.

Byington, who took over the Commodores program earlier this year after a historic season at James Madison, is looking to revamp the team after the departure of former coach Jerry Stackhouse.

Byington’s strong track record, including leading James Madison to 32 wins and its first NCAA Tournament victory in over three decades, has already paid dividends with commitments like Jayden Leverett’s.

Last season at Chapin, Jayden Leverett averaged 14.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, leading his team to a 34-5 overall record and a deep playoff run culminating in an Elite Eight appearance in the Class 5A Regional Final.

---

Jayden Leverett had four high schools in his radar

Jayden Leverett had made up his mind that he was going to eye for his top four high schools. Weighing in 220 pounds, he has made a name for himself on the Chapin varsity team and been an instrumental force in leading the Huskies to the Region 1-5A championship game for the past two seasons.

Leverett's junior season accolades include being named the El Paso Times' Defensive Player of the Year, which adds to his worth as well. With an impressive average of nearly eight rebounds per game and an offensive contribution of almost 15 points per game, boasting a 64% field goal success rate, Leverett has garnered attention from top-tier college programs.

Among the final four schools in consideration, New Mexico, Colorado, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma State were prime options for the talented athlete before he made his final call.

Jayden Leverett's achievements haven't gone unnoticed, as he earned All-State honors from the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. He also received offers from reputable institutions like Mississippi State, SMU, UTEP, Utah State, UC Santa Barbara, Rice, Texas, TCU, Sam Houston State and New Mexico State.