Missouri’s 2027 recruiting class just picked up a big-name backcourt piece.
Devin Cleveland, a 4-star combo guard from Chicago and La Lumiere School, committed to Mizzou on Thursday night, giving Dennis Gates another talented ball handler in the Tigers’ growing haul. Cleveland had been a major target for weeks after Missouri offered him in May, then kept pushing through a summer pursuit and a fall visit.
The Tigers were in the final three for Cleveland, alongside TCU and Michigan, after his list had started with seven schools. In the end, Gates and Missouri won out for the 6-3 guard.
Cleveland joins Scottie Adkinson, the Webster Groves, Mo. product and 4-star combo guard who committed to Missouri earlier in the process, and Cameron Barnes in what now looks like a strong 2027 group. With Cleveland in the fold, Missouri appears likely to be finished with its fall additions to the class. That trio has the Tigers sitting near the top of the SEC picture for now, and potentially inside the national top five as well.
Cleveland checks in at 6-3 and 165 pounds, with a 6-foot-6 wingspan. He’s ranked No. 30 in the 247Composite and No. 32 by On3 Sports. His offer list also included Alabama and Marquette.
The scouting report on 247sports.com from Adam Finkelstein paints the picture of a guard with real shot-making juice. Cleveland “is one of the most skilled guards in the national class.”
He’s described as a natural shooter with “a feathery touch” who hit 47% of his threes during the EYBL Scholastic season at La Lumiere. The report also notes that he went at 30% during the grassroots season, with shot selection playing a major role in that drop.
What makes Cleveland interesting is that the jumper isn’t the whole story. His shooting forces defenses to react, and that opens up more for him as a passer and creator.
He’s said to have “naturally good hands,” including a very good left, and he’s nearly ambidextrous as a passer and around the rim. The report also points to his ability to use fakes, footwork, stride variation and craft to create space.
He can finish, too. Cleveland made 59% of his attempts at the rim during the EYBL season and has a floater game from just beyond that area.
The one area still tied to his long-term upside is strength, since he’s naturally lean and still building his frame. He won’t turn 18 until March of his senior year, and the report says that added strength should help him pressure the rim, improve his athleticism and continue his defensive development.
There’s still a season to play, but Cleveland looks like the kind of guard who could walk into a meaningful role pretty quickly. Missouri’s 2027 roster projection may lean young, but the talent level is starting to stack up in a hurry.
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Mizzou Just Got A Huge Mark Mitchell Boost In Its NCAA Fight
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For Mizzou, the timing matters because Dennis Gates had already backed the players at the center of the case, including Mark Mitchell and C.J. Gunn. Their eligibility questions had hung over the program as the legal proceedings played out, and the injunction gives Missouri some breathing room while the larger fight continues, even if the final answer is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]