McDonald's All-American Jordan Smith Jr. Discusses His Stunning College Commitment Decision

The Paul VI five-star and nation’s top-ranked shooting guard capped his college decision with a historic performance and a WCAC title clincher.

Jordan Smith Jr. of Paul VI Catholic (Virginia) surprised many, on Friday, by announcing his commitment to play his college basketball at the University of Arkansas. / Amanda Inscore/The News-Press USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK

Washington, DC native Jordan Smith Jr. has finally made his college basketball decision. 

A Commitment Worth the Wait

In a highly anticipated announcement, Smith, a 6-foot-2-inch senior guard at St. Paul VI Catholic High School (Chantilly, Virginia) released a one minute, ten second video on social media Friday announcing his college plans. 

“I’ve decided to commit to the University of Arkansas,” Smith said in the video released on his Instagram page. 

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Smith, a five-star prospect, is a McDonald’s All-American and one of the nation’s top-ranked players in the Class of 2026.  

Why Arkansas Won the Battle

Smith, a four-year varsity player at Paul VI, chose the Razorbacks over offers from Duke, Georgetown, Kentucky, Indiana and Syracuse. 

“All my visits were very good,” Smith told ESPN’s National Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi, “but when I left Arkansas, I felt it was the right place for me.” 

Smith, who made his official visit to the Fayetteville campus in September, joins a loaded Arkansas recruiting class that is ranked among the nation’s best.  

A Calipari-Built Path for Elite Guards

Arkansas head coach John Calipari is known for recruiting elite high school players that become McDonald’s All-Americans and Smith certainly falls into that group. On the AAU circuit, Smith played for Team Takeover in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) and has represented the United States in international competition. Smith is a two-time gold medalist for the FIBA World Cup team. 

The Latest Star from a WCAC Powerhouse

Paul VI head coach Glenn Farello has built a Washington Catholic Athlete Conference (WCAC) powerhouse basketball program at the Northern Virginia private school.  

Paul VI is nationally ranked in the High School On SI Top 25 and Smith is the nation’s top-ranked shooting guard and a Top 5 nationally ranked player. 

“He’s the best high school basketball player in the country in my opinion,” said Adam Finkelstein, Director of Basketball Scouting for CBS Sports. 

Over the years, Farello’s Paul VI basketball program has boasted various future NCAA Division 1 and professional players such as Erick Green, Trevor Keels, Jeremy Roach and V.J. King to name a few.  

Erick Green was a second round NBA Draft selection by the Utah Jazz in 2013. Trevor Keels was selected by the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. 

V.J. King was named a McDonald’s All-American in 2016 and Jeremy Roach was selected to play in the 2020 McDonald’s All-American Game that was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A Record-Setting Panther Career

Jordan Smith Jr. is the program’s all-time leading scorer. Smith is also the first player in Paul VI history to surpass 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocked shots. 

Senior Night, Title Night

Friday the 13th was also Senior Night for the Paul VI boys basketball program and Smith finished with 19 points to help lead the Panthers to an 82-45 victory over St. Mary’s Ryken. By virtue of the victory, Paul VI (26-2, 12-0) clinched their fifth consecutive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference regular season title.