Arkansas and head coach John Calipari earned its first commitment for the 2026 class on Thursday. In-state four-star guard JJ Andrews announced his commitment to the Razorbacks in the Little Rock Christian Academy gymnasium, choosing Arkansas over LSU and Missouri.
The son of former Arkansas football great Shawn Andrews, the 6-foot-6 guard has earned major praise in recent weeks for his performance in the Phoenix EYBL Session.
In addition to his performance on the Circuit, Andrews was also named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Arkansas for the 2024-2025 season at Little Rock Christian Academy. He posted 28.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 blocks per game in his junior campaign.
Andrews is the second in-state prospect Calipari has landed at Arkansas, following Springdale product Isaiah Sealy in the 2025 class. It also gives the Razorbacks consecutive classes with an in-state player after having zero in the 2024 class. Over the past 15 years, Arkansas has only had four classes where it didn't land a player from an in-state high school or who was originally from the state: 2024, 2021, 2015, and 2012.
The Arkansas coaching staff is just getting started with filling the 2026 class, with many more names eyeing visits or potentially reclassifying to the 2025 class.
