Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer has been a recruiting mastermind since taking over at the helm in Durham, generating two #1-ranked recruiting classes at 247sports in three years. The Blue Devils also currently sit with the #1-ranked recruiting class for the class of 2025.
But, Scheyer and his staff have begun their hunt for elite talent in the class of 2026 and are one of a few programs to go see Jordan Smith Jr. in person this season.
Smith is a five-star guard out of Paul VI Catholic (VA), currently the #5 overall player and #2 shooting guard at the 247sports Composite Rankings for the class of 2026.
Paul VI Catholic is also the high school that current Blue Devils Patrick Ngongba II and Darren Harris attended. Former Blue Devils Trevor Keels and Jeremy Roach also attended the high school.
Other schools and coaches to have visited Smith include: Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley, Arkansas assistant coach Chuck Martin, Kentucky assistant coach Alvin Brooks III, and Louisville assistant coach Jermaine Ukaegbu.
Assistant coach Chris Carrawell represented Duke when he visited the star prospect.
Smith has been on a visit to Duke along with Louisville and Syracuse, but holds offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgetown, Houston, Kentucky, among others.
"It was really nice there," Smith told On3 after his visit to Duke. "I went down to go visit Pat [Ngongba] and Darren [Harris]. It was nice to see them and a great environment. They treated me like family there. It's been really fun watching them play this year. I can see myself in Caleb Foster's position. They told me to watch him and how he facilitates, gets downhill, and defends."
Smith also talked about what he's looking for in whatever college he ends up attending.
"The big things for me are going to be playstyle, how the coaches treat their players, the environment. I'm comfortable playing fast and getting up and down, but I want to go somewhere that plays gritty defense and a team that just plays really hard."
If Smith is looking for elite defense and toughness, Durham is the spot for him. The six-foot-two, 200-pound guard will likely be a top target for Duke in 2026.