The Duke Blue Devils have signed the top recruiting class in the country in back-to-back years, and head coach Jon Scheyer is looking to make it three in a row with the 2026 recruiting cycle. One of their targets that can help make that happen is five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr., who is one of the best players in the country.
They have been prioritizing him and have already hosted him on an official visit, the only one he has taken at this point. While he does have official visits scheduled with the Arkansas Razorbacks and Kentucky Wildcats, one expert believes that Duke will be able to win the battle for Smith.
Jamie Shaw of Rivals recently predicted where several top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class would end up and believes the Blue Devils will be the choice for Smith, even if his recruitment is far from over. He has a confidence level of 40% and believes the Razorbacks and Wildcats are the biggest threats.
“Duke has carried a lot of the buzz around Smith for the majority of the recruitment,” he said. “He has former teammates on the team and familiarity with the program. As we head into visit season, continue to watch which visits he goes on, as with a lot of these top-ranked players, he is a priority recruit at each stop. Smith has mentioned to me that he is open to signing late.”
Smith is ranked as the No. 3 overall player and No. 1 shooting guard in the Rivals industry ranking. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder is also the No. 1 player from Virginia.
One thing that is working in their favor is that he is a former teammate of Pat Ngonba and Darren Harris, who will suit up for the Blue Devils in the 2025-26 season. They can give him a first-hand account of what it is like to play for Scheyer and help sell the program in addition to the coaches.
