John Calipari’s recruiting roll at Arkansas has put the Razorbacks in position for another major 2027 battle.
The latest name on the board is Devin Cleveland, a top-30 guard who trimmed his list to seven schools earlier this week and included Arkansas among the finalists. Alabama, Marquette, Michigan, Missouri, Syracuse, and TCU are also still in the mix for the Chicago native, who plays at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana.
Cleveland is one of the highest-regarded guards in the class. Rivals Industry Ranking has him at No. 32 overall and No. 6 among shooting guards in 2027, while 247Sports places him No. 30 nationally and No. 6 at point guard.
The 6-3 guard backed up that ranking with a strong season at La Lumiere, where he averaged 15.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game as the Lakers went 22-5 in 2025-26. He was even more productive on the Nike EYBL circuit with Brad Beal Elite, putting up 16.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Arkansas has been in this one for a while. Cleveland visited Fayetteville as a freshman, and the Razorbacks officially offered him a scholarship in August 2025.
He has also made it clear what draws him to Calipari’s program. “Coach Calipari lets his players hoop,” Cleveland told 247Sports after receiving his Arkansas offer.
That fit makes sense given Calipari’s track record with elite guards, from Derrick Rose and John Wall to current names like Darius Acuff Jr. and Jordan Smith Jr. Arkansas also has a built-in relationship edge through assistant Chin Coleman, a fellow Chicago native who has known Cleveland’s father for more than 30 years.
Cleveland has said Coleman is like an uncle to him. Tyler Ulis and Kenny Payne also have ties to Cleveland’s family, giving the Razorbacks a familiar lane with one of their biggest 2027 targets.
The competition, though, is already moving. Cleveland has visited Michigan and Marquette, and Missouri has hosted him twice while also landing his first official visit for Oct.
- He is expected to get to all seven finalists before making his commitment around late December or early January.
If Arkansas can keep stacking targets like Cleveland, the Razorbacks may be setting themselves up for another huge class in 2027.
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