Basketball season is getting closer, and John Calipari’s recruiting board at Arkansas is already crowded with high-end targets.
The Razorbacks are still chasing the top guards in the 2027 class, and the early part of the cycle shows Calipari looking to balance those headliners with pieces that fit around them. Right now, Arkansas has just two official visits on the calendar, though that number figures to grow as more recruits lock in trips to Fayetteville.
Cayden Daughtry is the higher-ranked of the two visitors currently set. The third-ranked player in the 2027 class, according to 247Sports, will be at Arkansas on October 30. King Gibson, ranked 16th, is scheduled to visit on September 21.
Gibson’s profile gives Arkansas something a little different. He’s an aggressive combo guard with size, while Daughtry is more of a true point guard and a bit undersized. Daughtry would be a major win, but Gibson looks like the cleaner fit alongside other talent because of how well he can complement different types of players.
So far, Calipari has handed out 12 scholarship offers, and every one of those players sits inside the top 30 of his class. The biggest prize on the board remains Beckham Black, the nation’s top-ranked player and brother of former Razorback Anthony Black. Black does not have a visit lined up yet, but that is expected to change soon.
Arkansas is also firmly in the mix for Chase Lumpkin, a combo guard who has trimmed his list to six schools. The 6-foot-5 guard from McEachern High School in Georgia is ranked No. 28 in the SCNext 100, and his finalists are Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, Michigan, Louisville and USC.
Another name to watch is CJ Rosser, the second-best player in the class. Calipari has offered him as well, and Rosser has been playing with Black at Southeastern Prep before both moved on to Overtime Elite. With Calipari’s known connection to OTE, Rosser remains a real possibility for Arkansas.
The Razorbacks have also offered two centers so far: Lewis Uvwo and Paul Osaruyi. Both are big bodies who can help create space for guards with their screening, but Osaruyi appears to be the cleaner fit if Arkansas goes guard-heavy at the top of the class. He can help generate offense by freeing up ball-handlers or finishing quick plays in the pick-and-roll.
The rest of the offer list includes Devin Cleveland, NaVorro Bowman Jr., Demarcus Henry, AJ Williams and Asa Montgomery.
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