Arkansas may have already landed the No. 1 high school class in the country, but the next big name on John Calipari’s radar could be even more electric.
Beckham Black, the No. 1 overall recruit in 247Sports’ 2027 class, has been climbing fast over the past year. He’s moved out from under the shadow of his older brother, former Razorback Anthony Black, and now he’s looking every bit like a future headliner in his own right.
That buzz got louder earlier this week when Black went up against Cason Wallace, the 2025-26 NBA All-Defensive Second Team guard, in a pickup game. Black didn’t look overwhelmed at all.
He attacked Wallace, got to his spots in the midrange, and finished at the rim with ease. Wallace may not have been going all-out, but he also wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for easy buckets.
Beckham Black frying Cason Wallace 😮💨
Future #1 overall pick! pic.twitter.com/e4Tn6QvOZ6
- ItsAllLove (@nbanerdd) July 30, 2026
For Arkansas fans, the name might still be new. That won’t last long. The Razorbacks are among the schools showing serious interest in the star point guard, and Black was even wearing Razorback red during the run with Wallace.
If he did end up in Fayetteville, Arkansas would have a top-ranked guard in three straight recruiting classes. That would follow 2025 No. 1 point guard Darius Acuff Jr. and 2026 No. 1 combo guard Jordan Smith Jr.
Black’s stock took another jump at the 2026 FIBA U17 World Cup, where he averaged 12.3 points, 8.3 assists, and 3.0 steals per game while helping the United States win gold. With the way he looked against Wallace, it’s not hard to see why some already think his game could put him near the top of 2028 NBA Draft boards.
The recruiting race is crowded. Black already has more than 20 scholarship offers, with Duke, Kentucky, Texas, USC, and North Carolina all in the mix. Arkansas has the family connection and Calipari’s recent run of signing elite guards working in its favor, but nothing is locked in yet.
For now, the Hogs are waiting like everyone else. But if Beckham Black keeps rising at this pace, he could become one of the biggest names on Calipari’s board before long.
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Arkansas Faces A Bigger Problem Than Ryan Silverfield Right Now
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Paul Finebaum brought the focus back to a bigger issue at SEC media days, suggesting any shortfall in preparation starts higher up the chain than the new coach. That puts Silverfield in an awkward but familiar spot for a program trying to reset, because the expectations are immediate even though the bigger question is whether Arkansas leadership has built the right foundation to support him. [Read more 🡒]