Where Duke Basketball Ranks After Losing Top Prospect

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff rarely miss out on top recruits that they heavily go after, but the Blue Devils were unsuccessful in the recruitment of 5-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. Duke was considered the favorite to land Smith for a long portion of his recruitment process, but an SEC foe jumped in late and took over.

Smith is the No. 3 overall player and No. 1 combo guard in the 2026 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports 2026 Composite Rankings. The 6'2", 200-pound product ultimately committed to Arkansas over Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Georgetown, and Syracuse.

After Smith took an official visit to Durham for Countdown to Craziness, he received a crystal ball prediction to land with the Blue Devils, and it felt like it was Duke's battle to lose for the top guard.

Then, throughout the fall, John Calipari and the Razorbacks began gaining traction after hosting Smith on an official visit, which was reported to have gone very well.

NEWS: Top-five senior Jordan Smith Jr., the best guard in the country, has committed to Arkansas. He chose the Razorbacks over Duke, Georgetown and others.

“All my visits were very good, but when I left Arkansas, I felt it was the right place for me,” Smith told @PaulBiancardi. pic.twitter.com/NX7PsMERFf
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 14, 2026

Calipari has bred a slew of elite guards throughout his tenure as a college basketball head coach, and Smith will be his next supreme talent. Despite losing out on the Paul VI Catholic (VA) guard, Duke still sits with a loaded 2026 recruiting class.

Duke Still Boasts Nation’s Top 2026 Recruiting Class

Even after losing out on the 5-star recruit, Duke still owns the No. 1 overall 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports, headlined by three 5-star prospects. Arkansas moved to the nation's fifth-ranked class and became the only school other than Duke to seal three 5-star commitments.

Michigan State, Kansas, and Michigan sit in between the Blue Devils and Razorbacks in the national recruiting rankings, in that order.

Breaking: Jordan Smith, the No. 3 player in the 2026 SC Next 100, has committed to Arkansas, he told @PaulBiancardi.

He is Coach Cal's second top-15 recruit next season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ug3XG0RWcu
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) February 14, 2026

The Blue Devils have sealed pledges from 5-stars Cameron Williams (No. 2 overall player according to the 247Sports 2026 Composite Rankings), Deron Rippey Jr. (No. 1 point guard according to 247Sports), and Bryson Howard (No. 12 overall player according to 247Sports).

scheey — Dec 31, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (right) and assistant coach Chris Carrawell direct players during the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 85-79. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

What Caused Duke To Miss Out on Smith?

Aside from Calipari having the history of developing elite guards to get to the NBA quickly, Smith will also likely get the ball in his hands right away, with current star rookie Razorbacks point guard Darius Acuff Jr. likely headed to the NBA following the 2025-26 campaign.

As for Duke, its only true guards on the roster are Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer. Both have very interesting decisions to make following the season regarding a return to Duke or the NBA Draft. It feels possible as if now that both are back or neither is back in 2026-27, leaving a lot unclear.

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball recruiting news.

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