Five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. announced his commitment to Arkansas on Friday.
Smith — the top guard prospect in the 2026 class, and the No. 3 overall recruit, per the 247Sports Composite — picked the Razorbacks over finalists Duke, Georgetown, Kentucky, Syracuse and Indiana.
The DMV native becomes John Calipari’s third commit for next season, joining five-star wings JJ Andrews (No. 16 overall) and Abdou Toure (No. 22). With Smith’s commitment, Calipari is on pace to sign his third straight top-five recruiting class in Fayetteville.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound guard has a unique skill set, from his physical makeup to the ways he impacts winning. Smith isn’t a typical five-star guard in that his game is about much more than scoring. He’s arguably best on the defensive end, where his 6-foot-9 wingspan makes him a menace on the ball and jumping passing lanes.
Smith was the only player at Peach Jam last summer — the most prestigious tournament in grassroots basketball — to finish in the top 10 in both steals (2.4 per game, fifth-most) and blocks (1.8 per game, seventh-most). He also has enormous hands, making it easier to accrue deflections and poke away the ball.
Offensively, Smith is still more than capable, averaging 20.4 points per game at Peach Jam. He’s built like a Mack truck, which makes him able to drive and finish through contact. Smith’s 3-point shot is arguably the area that needs the most improvement — he made just 1 of 9 3s at Peach Jam and shot 31.8 percent from deep for the entire grassroots season — but he’s comfortable in the midrange and can get to his spots with relative ease.
More than anything, he impacts winning, as he showed in helping the U.S. Under-19 team to a gold medal at last summer’s World Cup. His high school team, St. Paul VI Catholic in Chantilly, Va., is also one of the top teams in the country.
In addition to his scoring, Smith also averaged 7.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game at Peach Jam.
Smith choosing Arkansas over Duke — which has landed multiple former Paul VI players, including current Blue Devils Patrick Ngongba II and Darren Harris — and Georgetown is a huge coup for Calipari, who regularly relies on star freshman guards. His current one, Darius Acuff Jr., is one of the top first-year talents in college basketball, averaging a team-high 20.8 points and 6.3 assists.