Texas announces two women's basketball signees

Texas has signed a pair of elite 2027 women's basketball prospects on Wednesday in 5-star C Jayla Forbes and 5-star SF Qandace Samuels.

Vic Schaefer shares his thoughts on both.

On Forbes:

“We are so excited to announce the signing of Jayla Forbes to our 2027 recruiting class,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said. “Jayla brings so much to the table with her size, strength, and versatility. She has great hands, runs the floor extremely well, and has the ability to stretch the defense all the way to the three-point line. Her footwork around the rim is elite, and her combination of skill, physicality, and versatility will allow her to make an immediate impact on our program. This was a position of great importance for us in this recruiting class, and Jayla checks every box. She brings a competitive spirit and toughness that we value tremendously. She plays with an edge, embraces physicality, and is a competitor by nature.”

“Beyond basketball, Jayla comes from a wonderful family, and we are thrilled to welcome all of them into our Texas family,” Schaefer added. “Her incredible mom, Laura, and grandma, Bonnie, along with her two sisters, Lauriana and Laykyn, have been such an important part of her journey. We are thrilled to welcome Jayla Forbes to the 40 acres and look forward to all that she will accomplish as a Longhorn!”

On Samuels:

“We are extremely excited to announce the signing of Qandace Samuels to our 2027 recruiting class,” Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said. “Qandace is an incredibly talented player who brings a unique combination of size, length, versatility, and athleticism. As a big guard, she has tremendous court awareness, runs the floor exceptionally well, and possesses the ability to score at all three levels. Her combination of skill, physicality, and versatility will allow her to make an immediate impact on both ends of the floor. Qandace has been developed in two outstanding basketball programs at Bishop McNamara and Team Takeover under Coach Ron James, who does a tremendous job preparing players for the next level. Their philosophies and approach to the game align extremely well with ours here at Texas, making Qandace a natural fit in our program. She is a proven winner, highlighted by a 2025 EYBL Championship and back-to-back WCAC Championships, and understands what it takes to compete at the highest level.”

“One of the things we love most about Qandace is her competitive spirit and toughness,” Schaefer added. “She plays with an edge, embraces physicality, and has a natural desire to compete. Those are qualities we value tremendously in our program, and we know she will bring that same mentality to the Forty Acres. We are excited about the impact she will make as a Longhorn. Beyond basketball, Qandace comes from a wonderful family, and we are thrilled to welcome all of them into our Texas family. Her incredible mom, Shanda, dad, Qwanzi, brothers, Qayden and Qwanzi Jr., and sisters, Qadence, Qaylynn, Alana, and Aleah have been such an important part of her journey. We are grateful to welcome the entire family to Texas. We are thrilled to welcome Qandace Samuels to the Forty Acres and look forward to all that she will accomplish as a Longhorn!”