When discussing Jon Scheyer's elite freshman class, the hype starts with 17-year-old big man Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. If not him, then you typically hear about Deron Rippey Jr. and Cameron Williams.
That trio wasn't the only 5-stars Scheyer signed in the 2026 class, though.
Bryson Howard was a 5-star in this cycle, too, ranked as the No. 23 overall player in the composite. He's also the son of former NBA player Josh Howard. And yet, somehow, Howard has been completely overlooked heading into his freshman season at Duke.
He's almost been the forgotten guy in Duke's recruiting class. That might only last for a little bit longer, though.
College basketball insider Jon Rothstein attended Duke's practice on Tuesday, and he noted that Howard was one of the standouts, potentially pointing toward a significant role for the 5-star in his freshman campaign:
Duke freshman Bryson Howard is shining here at practice. 6-4 lefty is drilling three-point shots with ease.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 29, 2026
No other team in college hoops will bring three guards off the bench like Howard, Deron Rippey, and Cayden Boozer.
Don't sleep on 5-star freshman Bryson Howard's potential impact at Duke
As we mentioned when we broke down Duke's potential rotation last week, Howard is likely competing with Sebastian Wilkins for playing time on the wing. Wilkins has a size and length advantage at 6-foot-8, but Howard's ability to stretch the floor as a shooter will make it difficult to keep him on the bench.
Scheyer may be inclined to play some smaller lineups this season with so many quality guards. Caleb Foster and John Blackwell are the projected starters in the backcourt, but Cayden Boozer, Rippey, and Howard are going to get plenty of minutes.
With Duke's supersized frontcourt with Boumtje Boumtje and Patrick Ngongba II as the projected starters and Williams and Drew Scharnowski coming off the bench, you can afford to be a little smaller one through three.
Howard plays bigger than his size, too, which will work to his advantage. His wingspan makes up for the lack of height; 247 noted the wingspan measured at 6-foot-11. That should allow him to play the three, potentially slotting him as the primary backup to Dame Sarr, instead of competing for one of the two guard spots in an already crowded rotation.
While the three-point shot is the most intriguing offensive weapon in his bag, he's also a capable downhill driver with the ball in his hands. He also competes his tail off on the defensive end of the floor, which is a non-negotiable for Scheyer if you want to get on the floor.
Howard has his work cut out for him to carve out a legitimate role, but don't sleep on the 5-star freshman. He's a talented kid who has flown under the radar through no fault of his own. That might only last a couple more weeks.
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