Bryson Howard, a 5-star wing and 1 of the top prizes of the Class of 2026, announced on Tuesday afternoon that he’s committing to Duke for next season.
Howard, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, told On3 of his big decision on Tuesday. He was recruited by the bluest of blue blood programs, with Duke beating out bitter rivals North Carolina and Kentucky, among others, to lure Howard to Durham.
The product of Frisco, Texas, was the 12th-ranked player in the Class of 2026, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He was also the 4th-ranked small forward in the class and the top-ranked player from the state of Texas, according to those composite rankings.
Howard not only has serious talent himself, he comes from basketball bloodlines. He is the son of former NBA All-Star Josh Howard, who was a first-round pick of the Dallas Mavericks in 2003 and made that All-Star appearance with the Mavericks in 2007.
Duke hosted the younger Howard for an official visit in September, and Howard also took an official visit to North Carolina during September. Howard made his final official visit to Kentucky earlier this month.
Howard is the first hard commit for Duke in its 2026 recruiting class, as Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer earned a big recruiting victory to launch that 2026 recruiting class.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
