As the summer evaluation period gets ready to gear up, top programs like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and others are lining up their biggest targets. All eyes are on the 2026 class, which is headlined by stars such as 6-foot-7 forward Tyran Stokes, 6-foot-2 guard Jordan Smith and 6-foot-3 point guard Jason Crowe, all of whom have been thriving on the Nike EYBL Circuit. With a lot of buzz surrounding the 2025 class, the players next in line have flown under the radar.
The ensuing month leading up to the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in mid-July is crucial for recruiting, as coaches hit the road to evaluate the best prospects. But who are the top programs after? What are they prioritizing? And which players have they received commitments from already? Here, we look at eight of the nation’s top programs and unpack their recruiting efforts so far. Let’s dive in…
Arkansas
John Calipari and the Razorbacks have already reeled in a top-20 prospect in J.J. Andrews to kick off their 2026 recruiting class. But they’re after some other big fish as well.
Before we get into that, let’s start with Andrews. The 6-foot-6 lefty jumbo guard from Little Rock Christian Academy (Ark.) has been a big riser in the rankings due to his play this summer. He’s the No. 1 option for Bradley Beal Elite on the EYBL circuit, and he hasn’t disappointed, averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He’s a great piece for Calipari to build around to repeat a top-five recruiting class, which the former Kentucky coach accomplished in his first season with the Razorbacks.
The other top targets for Arkansas include five-star point guards Jason Crowe Jr. and Taylen Kinney, five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr., five-star wings Tyran Stokes, Tajh Ariza, Jalen Montonati and Abdou Toure, four-star wing Aiden Chronister, and four-star bigs Jacob Lanier and Sam Funchess. Calipari paid a visit to see each of these prospects during their respective high school seasons.
Arkansas is also in the running for five-star power forward Miika Muurinen, who could be a potential reclass candidate. With Arkansas likely losing guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas and wings Billy Richmond and Karter Knox to the 2026 NBA Draft after next season, the guard and wing spots look to be a priority. I’d expect Arkansas to be on the final lists for Crowe, Kinney, Jordan Smith, Ariza, Toure, Lanier and Funchess.
Duke
The Blue Devils are very selective in who they make offers to, evidenced by only five players from the 2026 class having received offers so far. The two that really stand out: No. 2 overall prospect guard Brandon McCoy and Jordan Smith, who visited campus together in October 2024. McCoy is another kid seen as a reclassification candidate, but with Duke’s roster at 13 scholarship spots, it would be hard to imagine him choosing the Blue Devils, especially with what Duke has at guard.
With that, all eyes turn to four-star small forward Kohl Rosario, who’s officially visiting Duke in June, and No. 3 overall prospect Christian Collins. With Collins, if I had to pick right now, my money would be on him being a Blue Devil. He’s your typical do-it-all power forward, and Duke has shown with Cooper Flagg what that can look like. He’s also told me he had a conversation with Khaman Maluach, who said if Jon Scheyer wants you, he’s going to get you.
Duke has shown interest in some other 2026 prospects including four-star power forward Cameron Williams and five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. Scheyer watched both at Adidas 3SSB Session 2, but Williams and Rippey haven’t received offers yet.
Houston
Fresh off a national title-game run and boasting the No. 1 overall 2025 recruiting class, Kelvin Sampson and company are once again after top-tier talent to help the Cougs get over the hump.
The first name to discuss is 7-foot-1 big Arafan Diane, the No. 1 overall center via the 247Sports Top-150. He hails from Africa and came to the United States to play basketball when he was 14 years old. Since then, he’s improved every year and is now one of the most sought-after talents in the 2026 class. Houston has visited him at his high school and watched him play at the Adidas 3SSB live session. He’s certainly a top target for Sampson.
Top-five overall prospect and 6-foot-5 guard Caleb Holt is another name to watch closely, with the staff also visiting him at his high school and watching him play at Adidas 3SSB. Holt is a hot commodity, but Sampson and staff have made a great impression and will likely be among his finalists when it comes to it.
Some other names Houston has offered include Jordan Smith, Tyran Stokes, Jalen Montonati, Christian Collins, four-star guards Junior County, Christian Gibson, Brandon Bass Jr., and Seven Spurlock, four-star wing Bryson Howard and four-star bigs Davion Adkins and Ethan Taylor. Three-star point guard Jachai Cantave and unranked big man Tyshawn Duncan also hold offers, and Houston has expressed interest in four-star point guard Mason Magee, but no offer has been extended yet. Watching who schedules official visits will give us a better idea of who the Cougars’ priorities are.
Kansas
Bill Self and the Jayhawks are in an interesting spot right now. The 2025-26 roster is still incomplete, so recruiting the 2026 class may be on the backburner until the team is filled out for next season. However, Kansas is still one of the biggest brands in the country and just landed No. 1 overall prospect Darryn Peterson last cycle. They’ll have a good chance to land a few of the top prospects in the country again in 2026.
Speaking of No. 1 recruits, Kansas is in a great spot with Tyran Stokes, who officially visited Lawrence in early May. The only other visit he’s taken is Louisville, and his hometown Cardinals and Kansas, along with Kentucky, are seen as the favorites right now. Landing back-to-back No. 1 recruits would be pretty sweet for Self. The Jayhawks also hosted Jalen Montonati, Ethan Taylor and 4-star guard Austin Goosby during home games last season, and they will host Kohl Rosario for an official visit this month.
Kansas has extended several other offers to 2026 prospects, but they’re specifically in a good spot with Jalen Montonati, Anthony Thompson, Davion Adkins, four-star guards Cameron Holmes and Kayden Allen and four-star big man Marcis Ponder. Once Self and company complete the roster for next season, look for Kansas to pick up its 2026 recruiting efforts. Right now, things are pretty murky.
Kentucky
When speaking with prospects about head coach Mark Pope, one word always comes up: energy. His infectious personality has won over Big Blue Nation, and it’s also paying off on the recruiting trail in a big way.
One thing is clear from Kentucky’s recruiting efforts so far: the Wildcats are after a top-tier option at guard. Taylen Kinney, Jason Crowe Jr., Caleb Holt, Ikenna Alozie and Jordan Smith have all been offered by Kentucky and Pope went out to see each at their high schools. Kinney took an unofficial last year and I’d be shocked if Kentucky isn’t among his finalists.
The Wildcats are also after a high-caliber forward, with offers extended to Anthony Thompson (visited twice unofficially), Tyran Stokes, Christian Collins and Miika Muurinen. Pope saw all of those players as well at some point during the high school season.
Speaking with a source who covers Kentucky, the Wildcats are hoping to land one big name at guard and one big name at forward. From there, Pope will fill out the rest of the roster based off his roster outlook for the 2026-27 season. I wouldn’t expect the Wildcats to be in any rush to push for a commitment, as most of these high-caliber prospects will be taking visits in the fall. And as we saw this past cycle with Braydon Hawthorne, Kentucky isn’t afraid to take some last-minute additions to round out a roster.
Louisville
Pat Kelsey has reinvigorated the Louisville program in just one season as its head coach. Similar to Pope, his energy is unmatched and he’s a coach prospects want to play for. That’s a big reason why Louisville is in there for several of the top prospects in the country.
Louisville has casted a wide net so far with offers extended to Jason Crowe Jr. , Dylan Mingo, Taylen Kinney, Deron Rippey Jr., Jordan Smith, Kayden Allen and Ikenna Alozie at the guard spot. Kinney started his official visit to Louisville on June 5, and the Cardinals have already hosted Rippey for an official. It’s expected that Smith, along with his AAU teammates Qayden Samuels and Prince-Alexander Moody, will take an official visit to Louisville as a group sometime soon.
Undoubtedly, though, Tyran Stokes remains the No. 1 target for Kelsey. He’s a native of Louisville and if Kelsey is able to bring him home, that would be huge for the program. Other players Louisville has offered and are recruiting hard includes Anthony Thompson, Abdou Toure, Cole Cloer, Christian Collins, Bryant, Williams, Diane, five-star Jaxon Richardson, four-star forward Anthony Felesi and four-star bigs Darius and Adonis Ratliff, Latrell Almond and Favour Ibe.
That’s a lot of names, but I’m sure Louisville will narrow its target list down as the summer moves on and we get into the fall. Again, monitoring official visits will be important.
Marquette
Shaka Smart is known for the family environment he’s created at Marquette. His players simply don’t transfer, and this offseason is the second year in a row where not a single player has transferred in or out. It’s clear that the Marquette program is all about development. Maybe that’s why the Golden Eagles have been able to grab two commits in the 2026 class this early in the cycle: 4-star wing Ethan Johnston and 4-star power forward Sheek Pearson.
Right now, those two commits give Marquette the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports. Starting with Johnston, the wing is a Swiss army knife who plays hard on both ends of the court. He’s spending his summer with the NY Rens and has helped the program to a 10-1 record, tied for first in the EYBL standings. As for Pearson, he’s a true rim-running big man who will instantly impact Marquette with his size, athleticism and skill. There’s a lot to like about the committed tandem.
Marquette has extended a few other offers to 2026 recruits including five-star forward Anthony Thompson, four-star guard/forward Tarris Bouie III, four-star wings Vaughn Karvala and Alex Egbuonu, four-star point forward Lucas Morillo, three-star guard Adam Boyd and unranked power forward Andrew Jensen. Morillo just wrapped up his two-day visit with Marquette on June 5, and the Golden Eagles will be a major player in his recruitment. Thompson has included Marquette in his top-15 schools list.
Each year since Smart has taken over the program, Marquette has landed at least four high school players, with exactly four committing each of the last three years. If that’s any indication, expect Marquette to pick up two more players this cycle, if not more.
North Carolina
Hubert Davis has had an up-and-down tenure at his alma mater, but one thing has remained consistent: his ability to recruit high-level high school players. Each season under Davis, North Carolina has landed a five-star recruit. In 2024, it was Ian Jackson and Drake Powell. This year, 5-star forward Caleb Wilson is coming in. I’d expect North Carolina to land another big name this cycle.
The Tar Heels have extended offers to five-star guards Dylan Mingo, Deron Rippey Jr., Holmes, Jordan Smith and Holt, wings Tyran Stokes, Anthony Thompson, Kohl Rosario, Miika Muurinen, as well as five-star wing Cole Cloer and five-star big man Toni Bryant.
As a North Carolina native, Cloer is someone to really look out for. The Tar Heels are also in a good spot with Holmes, who’s been a fan of UNC growing up, and Bryant, who will be visiting Chapel Hill on Sept. 1. The other prospects that schedule visits will give us a better picture of who Davis and company are really after. Right now, things are still pretty quiet on the recruiting front for the Tar Heels.
