2026 5-star recruit Amari Byles to visit ACC power this weekend

Top-15 2026 recruit Amari Byles is visiting Stanford this Friday, sources told On3. The 6-foot-2 forward from De Soto (Texas) High School has had a busy summer thus far but will take a trip out west to see the Cardinal this weekend. 

Byles received an offer from Stanford on June 2. Legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer retired from the Cardinal this offseason, and newly promoted head coach Kate Paye is getting to work recruiting the Class of 2026. 

Byles recently visited Baylor and Florida but has also visited Notre Dame, USC, UCLA, Kansas State and SMU over the past couple of years.

Sources also told On3 that Amari Byles plans to visit North Carolina and Duke soon. She holds offers from high-level programs nationally, including UCLA, USC, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Iowa. 

Amari Byles is a versatile player who can score from almost anywhere on the court. She also excels on the defensive end, disrupting offenses at a high level. Byles helped De Soto reach the Class 6A finals during her sophomore season. 

She was named all-state by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and Texas High School Coaches Association. The five-star prospect averaged 15.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks last season. 

Amari Byles plays AAU for the SA Finest on the Under Armour circuit. In four games this spring, Byles averaged 10 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and one steal per game while shooting 44% from the field. 

Stanford has picked up three commits in the Class of 2025, landing 6-foot-1 wing Carly Amborn, 6-foot-5 forward Alex Eschmeyer and 5-foot-8 point guard Hailee Swain. The Cardinal has targeted several 2026 recruits and has most recently offered Byles and 6-3 wing Brihanna Crittendon.