Razorbacks coach John Calipari has positioned his program well to secure one of the nation’s top prospects, Darius Acuff. The Detroit native, currently at IMG Academy in Florida, has been projected to join Arkansas, according to Jacob Polachek of On3.
Acuff is the top point guard prospect for the 2025 class, ranked No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in Florida. The 6’1″, 175-pound guard is known for his scoring ability. Recently, he led Team USA’s 18U National Team to a gold medal at the FIBA Americup, averaging 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal per game over six games, with a shooting efficiency of 47% from the field.
His most impressive tournament performance came in a dominant game against Belize. In just 13 minutes, he scored 23 points (9-12 FGs) and had 5 assists, contributing to a 96-point victory for Team USA.
The 5-star senior has received 21 scholarship offers from schools nationwide, including Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, UConn, Houston, LSU, Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio State, Rutgers, and others. He recently visited the Razorbacks and Jayhawks during the offseason, with these two programs now seen as the front-runners in his recruitment. Kentucky was initially a strong contender until Calipari moved from Lexington to Fayetteville.
With Acuff potentially committing to Arkansas it would likely send Darryn Peterson to Kansas. The Jayhawks can be considered favorites for Peterson but he is expected to visit Ohio State and North Carolina. Another prospect the Razorbacks are recruiting heavily is 5-star small forward Meleek Thomas who visited last week. Two-time defending national champions UConn will be hard to beat for Thomas but never say never for Calipari in recruiting. When he desperately wants someone out of the high school ranks he is rarely told no.
Arkansas 2025 Targets
No. 1 SF A.J. Dybantsa
No. 2 PF Cameron Boozer
No. 3 SG Darryn Peterson
No. 5 PF Koa Peat
No. 6 SG Meleek Thoams
No. 8 PG Darius Acuff
No. 10 SG Jasper Johnson
No. 17 PF/C Chris Cenac
No. 54 SF Isaiah Sealey
No. 63 PF Terrion Burgess
