Five-star prospect Jordan Smith Jr. attends Paul VI Catholic High School (Va.), which has produced four Duke basketball players this decade: Jeremy Roach, Trevor Keels, and incoming 2024-25 freshmen Patrick Ngongba II and Darren Harris. Despite this strong pipeline to Duke, UNC basketball head coach Hubert Davis has officially entered the race for Jordan Smith Jr. On Friday afternoon, the 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard, who has risen to No. 8 overall in the 247Sports 2026 Composite rankings by showcasing his skills in grassroots competitions, became the first 2026 player to receive an offer from Duke.
On Sunday evening, Smith announced on social media that he has also received an offer from UNC. Prior to these offers, Rivals’ Rob Cassidy predicted the growing interest from elite programs, noting that while schools like Louisville, Providence, Miami, Syracuse, Houston, and Michigan were involved, it was only a matter of time before Duke and North Carolina made their moves. Cassidy’s prediction came true sooner than expected, with Duke extending an offer just hours after his article was published, followed by UNC a couple of days later.
Jordan Smith Jr. is now the fourth rising high school junior to receive an offer from Hubert Davis.