Cameron Williams Is the Duke Freshman to Watch

For the third consecutive season, Jon Scheyer has assembled the top-ranked recruiting class in the country.

This cycle, Scheyer landed the most five-star players of his tenure as Duke's head coach. Leading the class is 6-foot-11 five-star forward Cameron Williams from St. Mary's High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Williams is ranked fifth overall in the 2026 class by Rivals and holds five-star status across all major recruiting sites. He is also the top-ranked power forward in the class and the highest-ranked prospect out of the state of Arizona.

Who Is Cameron Williams?

Duke is coming off back-to-back seasons in which a freshman won the national player of the year award, with Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer each claiming the honor. While Williams is a highly touted prospect, he is not a finished product in the same mold as Flagg and Boozer were coming out of high school.

What Williams brings is an impressive athletic foundation. He is a bouncy leaper, an excellent runner in the open floor, and can cover ground at his size in a way that translates well at the next level. He has soft, natural touch around the rim and shows shooting potential that extends beyond simply spacing the floor.

Williams can shoot off the dribble with a quick, natural release and is comfortable putting the ball on the floor, though he plays a bit upright at times. He also has a terrific left hand and has shown the ability to make tough finishes around the basket.

The areas where Williams still has room to grow are notable. Listed at 200 pounds, he is not the most physically imposing player on the court. He is not the back-to-the-basket force that Cameron Boozer was, and he will need to add strength throughout the season to hold his own in the ACC.

How Williams Fits in the Duke Rotation

Duke is heading into next season with significant frontcourt questions. Cam Boozer and Patrick Ngongba have not officially declared for the NBA Draft, but both appear likely to move on. Maliq Brown has completed his senior season and will not return. Given those circumstances, Williams should not be asked to play center, and Scheyer will likely need to address the frontcourt through the transfer portal.

Williams should also not be viewed as the focal point of the offense out of the gate. Dame Sarr has yet to announce whether he will enter the draft or return for another season, but if he comes back, Scheyer would likely build the offense around him. Incoming freshman guard Derron Rippy Jr. is another option around whom the offense could be structured.

Because Williams is not yet a finished prospect, patience will be important. Early in the season, the most realistic role for him is as a secondary option who can space the floor, attack closeouts, and finish around the rim.

That said, his ceiling is high. If his development accelerates within the Duke system, it would not be a surprise to see him emerge as the team's leading scorer before the season is over.