Arkansas earns commitment of five-star guard
Once again, Arkansas head coach John Calipari lands an elite guard out of high school. The Razorbacks earned the commitment of five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. on Friday.
Smith made his announcement ahead of his Senior Day game at St. Paul IV Catholic in Washington D.C. He is the No. 3 player in the 2026 class according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. It marks a major win on the recruiting trail for Calipari and Arkansas.
The Washington D.C. native received interest from several top programs. Ultimately it was the Hogs, though, who earned his commitment. Smith chose Arkansas over Duke, Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky, and Syracuse. For the longest time, experts gave the Blue Devils the edge in this recruitment, but Calipari would not be denied.
Smith has been at the top of Arkansas’ recruiting board from the jump. The coaching staff watched him in person across the country dating back to last summer, including some in-home visits along the way. No coach has produced as much NBA talent at the guard position as Calipari, and he just landed another NBA-caliber guard in Smith.
He joins the Razorbacks’ 2026 class to form a dynamic trio. Smith, along with five-star guard Abdou Toure and four-star wing JJ Andrews, make up one of the best classes in the country. Calipari said earlier this year he plans to do it his way, with freshmen, and that’s holding true.
Arkansas might not be done in the 2026 recruiting class yet, though. There are a handful of other prospects the Razorbacks could make a move on. Recently, sources told HawgBeat that Arkansas had only focused on Smith. That was because other prospects were not as close to making a decision. Securing Smith was top-priority. Now the staff can assess where the needs are elsewhere and pursue other targets if they deem it necessary.
As always, follow along with all our premium recruiting information at HawgBeat.com.
