Elite 2027 hoops prospect Ryan Hampton transferring to Florida's DME Academy

One of the top high school basketball players in the country is on the move ahead of his junior season.

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Paul Biancardi reported that Ryan Hampton, a top-5 player in the Class of 2027, is transferring to DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida. That comes after one year at Texas’ Dynamic Prep, a basketball-only program in Irving, Texas, that was coached by former NBA standout Jermaine O’Neal. Prior to that, he started his career at Rockwall (Texas) Rockwall-Heath as a freshman.

The younger brother of current NBA G-League player RJ Hampton, Ryan is one of the premier players in the country heading into his junior year.

He ranks No. 5 nationally and checks in as the country’s No. 1 shooting guard, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

Hampton played alongside a loaded roster as a sophomore at Dynamic Prep, flanked by top-100 2025 prospects and SMU signees Jaden Toombs and Jermaine O’Neal Jr., as well as elite small forward Marcus Spears Jr., the No. 6 overall player in the 2027 class.

Both he and Spears have drawn interest from across the country as recruits, but now Hampton will look to be the featured player for DME during his junior season, similar to five-star Louisville signee Mikel Brown last year. Playing for Drive Nation this summer on the Nike EYBL circuit, Hampton proved he was one of the best pure scorers in the country — regardless of class.

Hampton cementing his status as an elite prospect

“The 6-foot-6 wing has great length and a twitchy first step,” Rivals National Analyst Jamie Shaw wrote after his electric performance at Peach Jam in July. “He averaged 26.8 points while shooting 61.4 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from three for the week. He also stuck his nose in there to rebound. While he is going to need to continue adding strength and getting down with his footwork and balance in the paint, he continues to produce at a high rate.”

He already holds offers from SMU, LSU, Louisville, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas and a number of other programs. Kentucky, Indiana and Ole Miss are among the other programs involved in his recruitment.

Earlier this month, he drew high praise from his now-former head coach in O’Neal, who was a six-time All-Star himself during a 19-year NBA career.

“[Ryan] is still scratching the surface,” O’Neal told KSR. “He’s still raw, to be honest. He’s an elite-level scorer, he’s a tough shot taker, and also a tough shot maker. Very few people can do that.”

He also draw a comparison to Hall of Famer Paul Pierce and Hampton’s game.

“Paul Pierce took a lot of tough shots, but he made a lot of tough shots,” O’Neal said. “Ryan is going to be a tough shot maker. At his size, 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7, he’s long and can raise up over everybody. He can really shoot the ball, really score, and has a knack for being able to put the ball on the floor, getting to the basket, or pulling up.”