Houston’s 2027 recruiting class now includes four four-star players after Triston Hawthorne announced his commitment Sept. 17. All four are ranked within the nation’s top 100 by 247Sports, which currently places the Cougars’ group first nationally.
Hawthorne attends South Jones High School and comes from Ellisville, Mississippi. 247Sports lists him as Mississippi’s top player, while its Composite rankings place him No. 15 among power forwards and No. 80 overall in the 2027 class. He is 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds.
Houston, Ole Miss and Mississippi State were the three Power Four programs that offered Hawthorne. He went to Houston on Aug. 20, followed by visits to LSU on Sept. 5 and Harvard on Sept. 8. According to the report by Maanav Gupta for si.com, Hawthorne averaged 10.8 rebounds, including 4.0 offensive rebounds, and 4.3 blocks per game.
His 7-foot-2 wingspan and athleticism aid his rebounding and defense. He has been less developed offensively but has produced near the basket and in the dunker’s spot, taking most attempts in the paint and making roughly 60% of his free throws. Hawthorne joins center Derek Daniels and guards Oneal Delancy and Darrell Davis in Houston’s class.
