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Texas men's basketball goes international to round out its 2025-2026 roster with a skilled power forward from Germany

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Berry | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 2:54 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns men's basketball roster is now complete. On Tuesday, ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported German power forward Declan Duru has committed to Texas.

The 6-foot-9 is just 18 years old, but was a key cog for Germany at last week's FIBA U19 World Cup — winning the silver medal. Orangebloods' Jalen Brown took an in-depth look at Deru's game earlier this summer. The newest Longhorn averaged 11.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and shot 52 percent from the field with a 10.4 +/- (second highest on Germany) in 28 minutes per game.

Deru joins four-star Link Academy (Mo.) signee John Clark and Barking Abbey Basketball Academy (London) center Lewis Obiorah in Miller's 2025 class. Clark is ranked as the No. 75 overall prospect, per 247Sports. Obiorah is a 7-foot-1, 245-pound prospect with a 7-foot-7 wingspan who was named MVP of the EABL tournament in April—helping Barking Abbey to the Gold medal.

Powerful transition dunk by Real Madrid’s Declan Duru to cut the Žalgiris lead to three and force a timeout. pic.twitter.com/x1THXOnAsu
— Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) May 23, 2025

247Sports Eric Bossi thinks Declan Duru can provide 'important minutes' for Texas this season.

"The 18-year-old will arrive in Austin with an SEC-ready frame and plus athleticism. With his seven-foot wingspan and a max vertical leap that has been measured at nearly 39 inches, Duru is a capable rebounder, plus finisher in transition, and a player who should be able to provide a lot of defensive versatility.

The potential that Duru showed stretching the floor during FIBA action is a huge plus. If he is able to continue that level of shooting–or anything close to it–he'll be able to provide important minutes as a freshman. Duru is a guy who ultimately has the potential to develop into an NBA Draft prospect a few years down the road as he expands his overall skill set." - Eric Bossi, 247Sports

Texas was active in the transfer portal as well this offseason. Florida Atlantic forward Matas Vokietaitis and Xavier's Dailyn Swain will join Deru in the paint. After former head coach Rodney Terry was relieved of his efforts, the Longhorns have added eight new players for the 2025-2026 roster.

Per 247Sports team rankings, Texas sits at No. 39. This signing class is on the heels of a Top 15 one in 2024 when Texas landed five-star and 6th overall NBA Draft pick Tre Johnson. Four-star Nicolas Codie and three-star Jamie Vinson enter year two in Austin.

Last season, Texas finished 19-16 and just 6-12 in SEC play. The Horns had a quick exit in the NCAA Tournament — losing to No. 11 Xavier and Miller in the Midwest Regional. It was announced Miller would be replacing Terry March 23. His deal starts at $4.8 million for the 2025-26 season and increases by $200,000 every year through the 2030-31 season. He can also earn up to $850,000 in bonuses every season depending on conference championships, personal awards and how far the Horns advance in March.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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