Five-star guard Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 8 player in the 2025 recruiting class, committed to Arkansas, he announced on social media Friday. He chose the Razorbacks over Kansas and Michigan.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound prospect is the No. 1 point guard and the No. 2 player in Florida, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. At one point he was expected to commit to the Jayhawks but first-year Arkansas coach John Calipari was able to land Acuff.
🚨BREAKING: 5⭐️Darius Acuff Jr. has committed to Arkansas
He averaged 24.0 points (2nd in scoring), 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for The Family on the EYBL Circuit
He also led the NIBC in scoring 21.3 ppg @TheAthletic pic.twitter.com/qgH2t9xgSJ
— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) July 26, 2024
Acuff, 18, is one of the most gifted scorers in his class and the Razorbacks’ first committed prospect in the 2025 class. The Detroit native finished first in scoring at the Nike EYBL Scholastic League for IMG Academy (21.3 points per game) and was second in scoring on the Nike EYBL Circut for The Family this summer (23.9 points per game).
“I really like the talent,” an NBA scout said about Acuff. “He’s a super-gifted offensive player and, of the top-five point guards in the class of 2025, he has them all beat as a scorer.”
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This summer, Acuff played for Team USA in the FIBA U18, starting all six games, winning a gold medal and earning the FIBA Men’s U18 AmeriCup MVP award with averages of 17.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
What this means for Arkansas
With Calipari leaving Lexington to head further south to Fayetteville, some wondered if his recruiting strategy would change. It’s too early to tell, but I’d imagine he won’t deviate too much from the approach that’s made him so successful in past years.
Landing Acuff is great for the Razorbacks, as he is 100 percent a Calipari guard in his dribble-drive offense. This is Calipari’s second non-transfer commitment since becoming Arkansas’ coach after Casmir Chavis’ de-commitment from Washington. Arkansas is still in play for top-ranked 2025 prospect AJ Dybantsa, a pair of five-star guards Meleek Thomas and Jasper Johnson and top-25 center Malachi Moreno.
Calipari-led teams have been the most successful with two NBA-caliber lead guards, such as John Wall/Eric Bledsoe, Marquis Teague/Doron Lamb, Aaron Harrison/Devin Booker and Rob Dillingham/Reed Sheppard.
For the 2025-26 season, Calipari has Acuff, and if incoming McDonald’s All-American guard Boogie Fland stays for his sophomore year, his backcourt could be as dynamic as any he’s had before. If not, there’s always the transfer portal, but adding Acuff to the fold is a great first addition for the Hogs.
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(Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
