Houston brings in C Chris Cenac Jr., its highest-ranked recruit of the modern era

Top-10 prospect Chris Cenac Jr., the No. 1 center in the 2025 class, has committed to Houston — he is the program’s highest-ranked recruit in the modern era and gives the Cougars the No. 2 recruiting class in the country.

Cenac chose the Cougars over a final list that also included LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky and Tennessee. LSU, the home-state option, has been heavily involved in much of Cenac’s recruiting, while Kentucky made a push over the summer and Tennessee tried to close the gap in recent weeks.

But Houston was in a strong position for Cenac for most of the fall, and the big man’s relationship with head coach Kelvin Sampson and assistant coach Quannas White was a key factor.

“I have developed a great relationship with Coach Sampson, Coach White and the rest of the staff. They have a plan to develop me and I trust them,” Cenac told ESPN. “I know coach Sampson will train me hard. That’s what I want and need. I am a coachable player. People only see Coach Sampson on the field – he has a good sense of humor and is a really funny guy.”

Cenac is shaping up to be a projected lottery pick in the 2026 mock draft.

“I want to go to a winning program and produce products that help them win even more,” Cenac said. “At the same time, they can help me develop my game for the next level after Houston.”

Cenac, a 6-foot-10 center, had a breakout career on the Puma Pro16 circuit and backed it up with dominance in the USA Basketball U17 minicamp and the NBPA Top 100 camp. He made the U17 national team and helped the United States win a gold medal at the FIBA ​​U17 World Cup, averaging 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in seven games off the bench.

Cenac possesses a 7-4 wingspan that allows him to deflect, block and deflect shots. On offense, he impresses with back-to-the-basket movements, footwork and an effective jump hook. He also has an impressive offensive game that is comfortable all the way to the 3-point line. He already shows the rim running, agility, shot blocking and finesse of today’s modern big man.

At No. 7 in the ESPN 100, Cenac is the Cougars’ highest-ranked recruit since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007. With him, Houston now has the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, behind only Duke. Cenac joins a group that already includes top-25 guards Isiah Harwell (No. 14) and Kingston Flemings (No. 21), as well as four-star guard Bryce Jackson.