Arkansas keeps stacking recruiting wins in the John Calipari era, and the latest target on the board is a big one.
The Razorbacks are now among the finalists for DeMarcus Henry, the No. 1 small forward in the 2027 class. Per the Henry Family’s personal YouTube account, Arkansas is one of eight schools still in the mix for the 5-star wing, alongside BYU, UConn, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, and Ohio State.
Henry, listed at 6-foot-7 and 190 pounds, is the younger brother of Ohio State wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., who was the No. 1 WR in the 2026 class, and Ohio State women’s basketball player Seini Henry. Their father, Chris Henry Sr., played football for West Virginia and the Cincinatti Bengals.
On the court, Henry has built his reputation at Compass Prep in Chandler, AZ. Last season, he averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 54% from the field and 35% from 3-point range. He may not be the most polished offensive prospect yet, but his length, defensive ability, and expanding skill set have made him one of the most versatile players in the class.
His stock got another boost at the Memphis EYBL session in May, where he put up 21 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 2.5 SPG. That performance helped him pick up scholarship offers from several major programs, including Arkansas.
The competition is fierce, and Ohio State looks like the toughest hurdle for the Razorbacks. With two siblings already in Buckeye athletics and his father’s connection to the program’s football pipeline, the fit there is obvious. Still, Arkansas making Henry’s top eight says plenty about how hard Calipari’s recruiting operation is still rolling in Fayetteville.
If the Hogs land him, it would be the second straight year they’ve signed a recruit who was the No. 1-ranked player at his position. Jordan Smith Jr. was the No. 1 point guard in the 2026 class.
Henry’s ranking has climbed quickly over the past few months, so where he lands by the end of the 2027 cycle is still very much up in the air. For now, Arkansas has positioned itself squarely in the race for one of the class’s biggest prizes.
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His wife confirmed his death and said Burnett had faced severe memory loss in recent years, a painful final chapter for a player whose name has long carried weight in Fayetteville. For Arkansas, the loss lands as more than an obituary for an old star. It is a reminder of how deeply those great teams of the past still resonate, and how much of the programs history is tied to figures whose impact still shows up in the record book. [Read more 🡒]