Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Jordan Smith Jr., top-10 prospect, plans to visit ‘Cuse

Jordan Smith Jr., a highly touted prospect out of the talent-rich Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, says he will visit Syracuse basketball at some point.

Smith recently discussed the Orange and some of his other suitors in an interview with Rivals.com national analyst Rob Cassidy. The 6-foot-3 Smith is a five-star shooting guard in the 2026 class, and he’s a top-20 national prospect, according to multiple recruiting services.

While nothing has been scheduled at this juncture, regarding an unofficial visit to the ‘Cuse, Smith told Cassidy, “I was supposed to already visit but I haven’t. I’m going to.”

A source told me that the Syracuse basketball coaching staff is working on getting Smith on to the SU campus for an unofficial visit.

Players in the 2026 cycle, by the way, can start taking official visits beginning on August 1 of this year. What’s more, on June 15, the contact period opens up for prospects in the sophomore class, meaning at that time college coaches can begin initiating direct communication with these players.

While Smith has already received some impressive scholarship offers, I imagine that his offer sheet will blow up over the summer.

Syracuse basketball will receive a visit from 2026 five-star SG Jordan Smith Jr., he says.

Smith said via his X page in early May that he had picked up a scholarship offer from the ‘Cuse coaching staff. In the Rivals.com piece, he said his early offers are from the Orange, Maryland, Providence, Kansas State, Georgetown, Mount St. Mary’s, Villanova and George Mason.

He has taken unofficial visits so far to Villanova and Georgetown. When asked by Cassidy about some offers he’d like to land, Smith mentioned Houston and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference team Duke.

Smith is a sophomore at the powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., a program where Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry was an assistant coach a while back.

On the AAU circuit, Smith is a part of the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover in Nike’s EYBL league. Team Takeover is an excellent grassroots basketball program where both Autry and ‘Cuse assistant coach Brenden Straughn previously served as assistants.

Not only does the Syracuse basketball coaching staff have strong ties to Team Takeover, but that AAU program has seen numerous of its alumni head to the Hill, including Orange sophomore wing Justin Taylor and junior forward Benny Williams, among others.

What’s more, Syracuse basketball 2024 commit Donnie Freeman out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., a four-star power forward who has officially signed with the ‘Cuse, won a 17U Peach Jam championship on the EYBL circuit with Team Takeover this past July.

To that end, Smith said to Cassidy, “With Syracuse, it’s, like, Team Takeover (AAU) family with (Donnie Freeman) there."

Smith, an elite prospect in the 2026 class, is going to pick up more big-time offers, but the Orange’s recruiting connections to Smith – both at the coaches’ and players’ level – hopefully can benefit the ‘Cuse in his recruitment.

Smith, per numerous recruiting Web sites, is in the top 20 overall, the top five at shooting guard and within the top two in Virginia. On3 currently ranks him as the No. 10 national prospect in the sophomore cycle.

As I noted in another column a few days ago, Smith and his St. Paul VI teammates are suiting up in two prestigious showcases, and one of their games on Monday, Jan. 15, will air on ESPNU.