Five-star small forward Bryson Howard, the son of former NBA All-Star Josh Howard, has committed to Duke basketball.
Howard, a 6-foot-5, 188-pound small forward from Heritage High School in Frisco, Texas, announced his commitment to fourth-year head coach Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils on Tuesday afternoon in a live stream on the CBS Sports College Basketball YouTube channel.
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He chose Duke over Kentucky and North Carolina, giving Scheyer his first commitment in the 2026 class.
“It felt like home, really,” Howard said after announcing his commitment. “How I fit into their play system, just like off-ball screens, back door cuts, getting up and down defensively, transition. … It’s really great. It made the most sense.
“(Duke is getting) a whole lot of energy. I’m on the way.”
What Bryson Howard commitment means for Duke basketball
Howard has emerged as one of the fastest-rising prospects in the nation. Once unranked, he’s now rated the No. 1 player in Texas, the No. 4 small forward and No. 12 overall prospect in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite. He took an official visit to Duke in mid-September along with taking visits to UNC and Kentucky.
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Per 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein scouting report on Howard:
“Howard is a long and athletic southpaw wing who changes the game on both ends of the floor. He attacks the rim in straight lines, getting downhill and absorbing contact with a physical style. He rises up to finish above the rim and is a lob threat. He also has a translatable shooting stroke and has even shown some flashes of being able to make movement shots (45% 3pt, 75% FT), which is very unusual for someone so young (won’t turn 18 until following his high school graduation) and with such long arms (6-foot-11 wingspan).”
What’s next for Duke basketball recruiting
Howard’s decision gives Scheyer momentum heading into the rest of the 2026 cycle. The Blue Devils remain in pursuit of several other elite prospects, including five-stars Jordan Smith Jr. and Cameron Williams, both of whom attended Countdown to Craziness on Oct. 3.
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Since taking over for Mike Krzyzewski, Scheyer has not missed a beat on the recruiting trail. He has brought in three No. 1 overall classes (2022, 2024, 2025) with his 2023 class coming in at No. 2 overall.
Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What 5-star SF Bryson Howard’s commitment means for Duke basketball
