The Duke basketball program currently sits with the No. 5 overall 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports, but Jon Scheyer and Co. aren't finished with their efforts to land another big name prospect. 5-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. has long been linked to the Duke program, and the Blue Devils have been considered the favorites in his recruitment for quite some time. However, recent news has revealed that Duke could end up in a heated battle with SEC foe Arkansas, which is reportedly picking up steam in Smith's recruitment.
Smith was recently in attendance for the Blue Devils' thrilling ACC/SEC Challenge matchup against Florida at Cameron Indoor Stadium. He took his official visit to Durham for Countdown to Craziness, along with fellow 5-star recruit and current Duke commit Cameron Williams. Shortly after his official visit, Smith received a crystal ball prediction to Duke, further cementing the Blue Devils as the frontrunner. The 6'2", 200-pound product cut his list of schools back in August to Duke, Arkansas, Georgetown, Syracuse, Indiana, and Kentucky.
Duke basketball reportedly in battle with Arkansas for 5-star guard Jordan Smith Jr.
Smith is the No. 2 overall player, No. 1 combo guard, and No. 1 player out of the state of Virginia according to the 247Sports 2026 Composite Rankings. One of the main reasons that Duke has been viewed as the favorite is because Smith attends Paul VI Catholic (VA) and was high school teammates with current Blue Devils Darren Harris and Patrick Ngongba. Trevor Keels and Jeremy Roach also attended PVI.
However, On3's Jamie Shaw recently reported on Smith's recruitment, and it looks like John Calipari and the Razorbacks are making a push.
"Duke has long been the school I have heard the most associated with," Shaw said. "Throughout the process, however, Arkansas has continued to pick up steam. Syracuse is another school I have heard mentioned with Smith. Right now, everyone I am talking to is watching Duke, but they are also keeping an eye on John Calipari."
Arkansas has sealed two commitments so far in the class of 2026, including the No. 15 overall player, JJ Andrews.
There is no official timeline for Smith's commitment, but it appears Scheyer may have some late competition from Calipari. Given that Scheyer is potentially the best recruiting head coach in the nation, sealing the No. 1 overall recruiting classes in 2024 and 2025, he has as good a shot as any head coach to reel in Smith.
So far, the Blue Devils have landed commitments from 5-star forward Bryson Howard, Canadian seven-footer Maxime Meyer, and Williams.