Duke’s pursuit of 5-star Beckham Black just got more complicated with new contender emerging

5-star Beckham Black is arguably Duke's top target in the 2027 recruiting class. He is ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the composite.

Jon Scheyer extended an offer to Black, the younger brother of former Arkansas and current Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black, back in May after watching him play at a Nike EYBL event. Black has consistently been one of the top-performing players in the circuit, and he's coveted by virtually every program in the country.

When Duke turns up the heat on a recruitment, things usually pan out well for the Blue Devils. Scheyer doesn't just offer anyone. Nobody has recruited at Duke's level in the last few cycles.

Duke already has a commitment from composite 5-star Kager Knueppel, who has seen a meteoric rise this summer thanks in large part to his own performance in the Nike EYBL.

But their pursuit of Black just got a little more complicated. While John Calipari and Arkansas always figured to be Duke's biggest competition in his recruitment, a new contender has recently emerged and landed the first official visit of the fall with Black:

Texas has emerged as a legitimate threat to Duke for 5-star Beckham Black

Black plays high school ball in Orlando, but he's originally a Texas native. The Longhorns have made a sizeable recent investment in basketball, and head coach Sean Miller has been stockpiling talent in Austin.

Texas recently landed 5-star Marcus Spears Jr., who was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2027 class initially before he opted to reclassify and join the Texas roster immediately. Much like Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Spears won't be eligible for the NBA Draft until the 2028 class, putting him on a two-year path at Texas.

Spears' presence on the roster will be a major selling point for recruits such as Black, just as Boumtje Boumtje will be a big selling point for Scheyer and Duke when the Blue Devils start putting on the full-court press in putting together their roster for the 2027-28 season.

The next step for Scheyer and Duke in Black's recruitment will be landing an official visit this fall. They need to get him on campus to show the vast amount of resources at their disposal, something that even a program like Texas simply cannot match.

Black will have his pick of the litter for where he wants to attend college. Texas is undeniably a threat, but it's hard to bet against Scheyer when he zeroes in on a target.

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