Syracuse Basketball: 5-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. is a McDonald's All-American

Jordan Smith Jr., the long-time Syracuse basketball 2026 priority recruit, is one of two dozen McDonald's All-Americans this season.

The 12-man East and West rosters for this annual prestigious showcase were revealed on Monday afternoon, and the 6-foot-3 Smith's inclusion was no surprise at all. He's the leading contender for national player of the year in the current 2025-26 campaign after MaxPreps named him the national junior of the year last season.

The Orange is in Smith's top six, and he has unofficially visited the 'Cuse program twice. That being said, the leaders for the nation's No. 2 national prospect, per 247Sports, are thought to be Arkansas and Duke, recruiting analysts say. His final six includes those three schools, along with Georgetown, Indiana and Kentucky.

This season's McDonald's All-America game will occur on March 31 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz.

Syracuse basketball 2026 5-star target Jordan Smith Jr. is a McDonald's All-American.

Smith is a standout at St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va. St. Paul VI is one of the top teams around the country this season, and the Panthers are a significant candidate to make the 2026 Chipotle Nationals in early April in Fishers, Ind.

The Orange staff offered a scholarship to Smith in early May of 2023 and have recruited him hard ever since. He's extremely close with Syracuse basketball assistant coach Brenden Straughn, who has put in the work to prevail for Smith.

Last month, Straughn was on hand for Smith at the annual Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., one of countless instances where Straughn has been in attendance for the DMV star. The dilemma for the 'Cuse is that the team is struggling this season, and it's unclear what will happen with SU's coaching staff after 2025-26.

Smith is on the McDonald's All-America game's East roster. Also on the East roster is former Syracuse basketball recruit Deron Rippey Jr., a Duke commit whose dad is a good friend of mine. The West roster features three players who held scholarship offers from the Orange: Five-star small forward Maximo Adams (North Carolina), five-star power forward Christian Collins (uncommitted) and four-star power forward Quinn Costello (Michigan).