Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff currently sit with the No. 1 overall 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports, led by commitments from three 5-star prospects. However, the Blue Devils are still heavily in the mix for another 5-star in top-three recruit Jordan Smith Jr.
Smith is the No. 2 overall player, No. 1 combo guard, and No. 1 player out of Virginia according to the 247Sports 2026 Composite Rankings. The 6′ 2″, 200-pound guard will be deciding between Duke, Arkansas, Georgetown, Kentucky, Syracuse, and Indiana.
Duke was viewed as the favorite to land Smith for some time after the elite guard took an official visit to Durham for Countdown to Craziness back in October, along with current Blue Devil 5-star commit Cameron Williams.
After his official visit, Smith picked up a crystal ball prediction to land with the Blue Devils. However, over the past couple of weeks, John Calipari and the Razorbacks have emerged as the new potential frontrunner to land the nation’s top combo guard.
John Calipari in Attendance To Watch 5-Star Duke Target Jordan Smith Jr.
Calipari was in attendance to watch Smith at the Bass Pro Shop Tournament of Champions on Jan. 15 in Springfield, MO. Paul VI took down Logan-Rogersville (MO) 64-58 with Calipari in attendance. Smith took an official visit to Fayetteville back in September, and it was reported that the visit went about as well as it possibly could have.
“When I talk amongst all my sources, there is one team that comes up the most consistently, and that is Arkansas,” 247Sports’ Travis Branham said. “They had him on for an official visit back in the fall. And based on all the information, that official visit basically couldn’t have gone any better.”
Recent signs indicate that Duke and Arkansas are the clear leaders to land Smith, but the top recruit has also said that he hasn’t ruled any programs out. Nonetheless, after the Blue Devils seemed like the team to beat, that may no longer be the case.
What Does Duke’s 2026 Recruiting Class Currently Look Like?
Scheyer and Co. have sealed commitments from 5-star guard Deron Rippey Jr., 5-star forwards Cameron Williams and Bryson Howard, and 4-star Canadian seven-footer Maxime Meyer.
A pledge from Smith would assuredly secure Duke with the No. 1 overall 2026 recruiting class, which would be Scheyer and his staff’s third consecutive year with the nation’s top class.
