The Arkansas Razorbacks have made the cut for one of the country’s most coveted guards, landing in the top seven for 4-star Devin Cleveland of Chicago.
Cleveland’s list now includes Arkansas, Alabama, Syracuse, TCU, Michigan, Marquette and Missouri. His first official visit is already lined up for Columbia, with the Tigers set to host him beginning Oct. 3.
He has also made several unofficial stops along the way. Cleveland visited Missouri twice this summer, on May 16 and July 16, checked out Michigan on March 8, and made it to Marquette in June 2025.
A consensus top-40 prospect, Cleveland is ranked No. 32 overall in the 2027 class by the Rivals Industry model. He comes in at No. 6 among shooting guards and No. 3 in Illinois.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard also turned heads at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam earlier this month, where he averaged more than 16 points, four rebounds and four assists per game. In one of his biggest outings, he put up 26 points, six rebounds and four assists to help Brad Beal Elite beat the Indy Heat 70-66.
If Arkansas can make a real run here, John Calipari’s track record with elite guards has to matter. That’s the lane the Razorbacks are working in, especially after 5-star guard Davion Thompson and 4-star center Caleb Ourigou both reclassified to the 2026 class, giving Calipari a wider board to work from.
Arkansas is also pressing hard for other major 2027 targets. Southeastern Prep 5-star guard Beckham Black, Anthony’s brother, is viewed by a pair of services as the No. 1 prospect in the country and sits No. 3 overall in the Rivals Industry rankings.
Calipari has already shown plenty of interest in Black, who backed up the hype with a huge summer, including a 37-point performance on 70% shooting from the field at Peach Jam, plus five rebounds and four assists. As a junior at Southeastern, Black averaged 16 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and two steals across 48 games.
Another name to watch is Demarcus Henry, the 6-foot-7, 200-pound small forward from Compass Prep in Arizona and a Charlotte, N.C. native. He’s ranked No. 3 nationally by Rivals and recently placed Arkansas in his top eight. Henry averaged more than 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block per game last season, while shooting 54% from the field, 35% from 3-point range and 76% at the free throw line.
The Razorbacks have also surfaced with 5-star point guard Cayden Daughtry of Calvary Christian Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, the No. 3 player in the nation. Daughtry put together a big junior season, averaging 27 points, five assists, five rebounds and three steals per game.
In Other News...
Ryan Silverfields First Arkansas Camp Setup Says Plenty About This Team
The University of Arkansas has laid out its 2026 fall camp calendar, and the schedule offers the first real look at how Ryan Silverfield plans to run his first preseason in Fayetteville. Practices are set to open in the afternoon before shifting to mornings once classes begin on Aug. 17, a small but telling detail about how the staff intends to balance camp with the rhythm of the semester.
Media will be allowed at most workouts, but the Razorbacks are also carving out some work behind closed doors, including scrimmages on Aug. 16 and Aug. 22. There are a few other practices later in camp that will not be open to reporters, which makes the public portions of August feel a little more revealing as Arkansas builds toward its Sept. 5 opener against North Alabama. [Read more 🡒]
Paul Finebaum Reopened Arkansas Memories After Bret Bielema Took Aim At SEC
Bret Bielema managed to stir up old SEC arguments again at Big Ten Media Days, taking aim at commissioner Greg Sankey and suggesting the league has been too slow to adapt to the realities of NIL and the transfer portal. For Arkansas fans, it was the kind of familiar conference crossfire that tends to bring the conversation back to Bielemas time in Fayetteville, where his tenure still lingers as part of the programs recent history.
Paul Finebaum wasted little time pushing back, defending the league and turning the spotlight back on Bielemas SEC rsum. The broader point was about the SECs place in a changing sport, but the reaction also reopened memories of how Bielemas run in the conference ended and why his criticism was always likely to draw a sharp response from one of the SECs loudest defenders. [Read more 🡒]
Braylen Russell Suddenly Carries Huge Weight In Arkansas 2026 Plans
Braylen Russell has spent the offseason turning himself into a different kind of option for Arkansas, and the change has been hard to miss around the program. The junior running back has been healthier, lighter and far more consistent under the new coaching staff, giving the Razorbacks a back who looks better equipped to handle the grind of SEC football and the demands that come with a bigger role.
That matters even more with Arkansas preparing to break in a new starting quarterback, because the offense is going to need stability somewhere. Russells improved focus and effort have put him in position to be part of that answer, and if he carries this spring momentum into the fall, he could become one of the most important pieces in the rushing attack. [Read more 🡒]