Duke’s 2027 board just got a lot more interesting.
For Jon Scheyer, the pitch has already been taking shape around a class built on elite talent and fit: commitment from wing Kager Knueppel, a heavy chase for 5-star center Lewis Uvwo as the rim-protecting anchor Scheyer likes in his system, and a major push for 5-star guard Beckham Black. But the biggest name on Duke’s radar has been 5-star forward AJ Williams, the player Scheyer has treated like the top high school target on the board.
That chase changed on Tuesday.
Williams, who had been the No. 1 player in the 2028 class, announced that he is reclassifying into 2027, according to multiple reports. Joe Tipton reported the news, writing: “NEWS: 2028’s No. 1 overall recruit, AJ Williams, is reclassifying into the 2027 class, he told @Rivals.”
The 6-7 wing from Hampton, Georgia, already had 25 offers, including Duke, North Carolina, Auburn, BYU, Kansas, Georgia, and others. Now that he’s moved up a class, the race for him is set to intensify.
Duke’s interest in Williams was never subtle. Scheyer offered him last month, and that mattered.
At Duke, offers don’t come casually, and Williams was one of only two 2028 prospects to have received one from the Blue Devils, alongside Colton Hiller. With Williams now in 2027, Hiller is the lone 2028 player still holding a Duke offer.
That’s part of what makes Williams such a big deal for this staff. Scheyer has built a reputation for identifying his guys early and landing them, and Williams fit that mold from the start. The Blue Devils have been on him for a while, and the offer only confirmed how high he sits on their board.
The talent is obvious, too. Reclassifying usually comes with a ranking hit, at least at first, but Williams did not fall far. He slipped a bit and remains a top-five player in the composite.
Duke has long been viewed as the favorite, but this recruitment won’t be a straight line to the finish. BYU has shown it will spend aggressively, as seen with AJ Dybantsa last year. Arkansas and John Calipari are recruiting at a level that can match just about anyone, and Georgia can sell the pull of staying close to home and taking the Anthony Edwards path.
So the battle is real. Still, Scheyer has earned the benefit of the doubt in these situations, and Duke’s dream 2027 group of Williams, Black, Uvwo, and Knueppel is still very much in play.
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