FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – If the past two high school recruiting results have any bearing on what’s soon to happen in the 2027 cycle, then things are once again going to come down to Arkansas and Duke for many 5-star recruits across the country.
Both the Razorbacks and Blue Devils have been included in the top three of 247Sports composite team recruiting rankings in 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026. The Razorbacks enter the year touting the No. 1 recruiting class by signing No. 2 overall prospect Jordan Smith, Jr., along with fellow 5-stars JJ Andrews, Abdou Toure, and Miikka Muurinen.
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With Texas pulling off the feat of convincing top 2027 prospect Marcus Spears, Jr. to sign and reclassify to the 2026 class, it blew the door wide open for 5-star point guard Beckham Black to assume the role as the No. 1 prospect in his class.
While his older brother Anthony played his lone season of college basketball with the Razorbacks under former coach Eric Musselman, it’s no forgone conclusion that coach John Calipari finds a way to land him either. Because the one major school that stands in his way is the Duke Blue Devils and coach Jon Scheyer.
With the Nike EYBL circuit in Las Vegas for the weekend, Scheyer had a chance to get a live look at current 4-star power forward commit Kager Knueppel suit up for his Team Herro squad.
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He faced off with Black’s team AB Elite and pulled out a thrilling 52-51 victory with none other than Calipari, who was also attending the game while hot pursuit of the coveted 6-foot-3, 180 pound guard.
Despite the loss, Black still produced with a team-high 18 points and six rebounds on 6-of-16 from the field, 2-of-6 beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 at the free throw line.
One interesting note in all of this is Arkansas already has a commitment from 2027 5-star point guard and No. 20 overall prospect Davion Thompson. With the Link Prep Academy star apparently linked to reclassifcation rumors, it makes sense why Calipari continues to pursue Black like he doesn’t already have someone in the fold.
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Another prospect the Razorbacks and Blue Devils are going head-to-head for is No. 6 overall prospect Lewis Uvwo, who’s witnessed a dramatic rise in his recruitment of late.
After a breakout performance during EYBL play in Memphis, the 6-foot-10 center received a long list of offers from schools such as Arkansas, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Providence, Miami, USC and many others.
He’s connected on nearly 70% of his shot attempts while averaging nine points, six rebounds, and a staggering seven blocks and two steals over the summer.
For an Arkansas team that has struggled in the post over the first two seasons under Calipari, Uvwo would be a bow on top of what’s already becoming a promising class.
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Other notable 2027 prospects the Razorbacks are in pursuit of include power forward CJ Rosser (No. 2 nationally), small forward Demarcus Henry (No. 4 nationally), combo guard King Gibson (No. 7 nationally), and center Caleb Ourigiou (No. 53 nationally).
Speaking of Ourigou, it’s been nearly two weeks since he completed his round of official visits but no commitment has been made as of yet. However, it seems to be a two-team race between Arkansas and UConn, according to a report from On3 on Friday.
Recruiting at the highest level such as Arkansas has for the past six years, it’s understandable that things remain fluid at all times. But with NIL, revenue sharing and roster limits, it’s made this an even greater chess match between coaches like Calipari and Scheyer, who are trying to land elite talent with each recruiting cycle.
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At the rate both programs are recruiting, another race between Arkansas and Duke for the nation’s No. 1 signing class in 2027 feels more like an expectation than a possibility.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Razorbacks, Blue Devils on Collision Course For No. 1 Class in 2027 Cycle.
