Janiah Barker, the No. 3 basketball prospect according to ESPN HoopGurlz, has switched her commitment from the University of Georgia to Texas A&M.

The decision comes after Joni Taylor, who had led Georgia since 2015, took the head coaching job at Texas A&M. Sydney Bowles and Tineya Hylton also have followed Taylor from Georgia.

Baker announced the decision Wednesday night on Made for the W.

“I was committed to the University of Georgia. Was super excited for that journey but the path changed and coaches changed, a lot of things changed,” she said. “But I feel as if everything is happening for a reason and I’m truly excited for this new chapter in my life.”

A McDonald’s All-American, Barker averaged 15.2 points and 9.3 rebounds in 21 games as a senior. She is set to become Texas A&M’s highest-ranked signee, ahead of Chennedy Carter, who was ranked sixth in the Class of 2017. Carter now plays for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

Texas A&M has named Joni Taylor as the eighth head women’s basketball coach in program history.

The head coach at Georgia for the past seven seasons, Taylor won the SEC Coach of the Year award in 2021. She compiled 140 wins and four NCAA Tournament bids during her tenure.

In 2021, she took the Bulldogs all the way to the SEC tournament championship game. There, she and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley became the first pair of African American female head coaches to coach against one another in an SEC tournament title game.

She also has coached four players to the WNBA draft, with Jenna Staiti and Que Morrison up for the draft this year.

“Texas A&M women’s basketball stands for excellence and integrity on and off the court. As we began our search to replace Coach Blair, it was so important that we found the right leader and person who would exemplify these same qualities and someone who understood what being an Aggie is all about,” Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said in a statement. “As the process evolved, and the more we got to know Coach Taylor, it became crystal clear that she is the right coach to lead our program into this new era of Aggie basketball.”

Taylor succeeds Gary Blair, who announced in October that he would retire at the end of the season. Over the past 19 seasons, Blair coached Texas A&M to an NCAA championship in 2011 and five SEC titles, including the 2021 conference regular season championship. He won a total of 444 games with the Aggies, making him the winningest basketball coach in school history.

“I am extremely excited and humbled to have the opportunity to lead the Texas A&M women’s basketball program. You are talking about a program that is rich with tradition and an institution that leads not only in the SEC, but in the country,” Taylor said. “I am excited to get there and meet the team and immerse myself and our family into Aggieland.”