Duke basketball recruiting: Five-star recruit Cameron Williams commits to Blue Devils over Arizona, Texas

Duke and coach Jon Scheyer’s staff struck gold once again on the recruiting trail Friday afternoon in securing a verbal commitment from five-star forward Cameron Williams. Williams, the No. 4 overall player in the Class of 2026 and the No. 1-ranked power forward prospect, announced his commitment exclusively on CBS Sports HQ, choosing the Blue Devils over finalists Arizona and Texas.

The 6-foot-11, 200-pound power forward garnered more than a dozen scholarship offers during his recruitment, but a summer offer from Duke and official visit to its Durham, North Carolina campus in early October helped seal the deal. 

Williams’ commitment culminates a meteoric rise for one of the best overall prospects in the class as he went from a relative unknown a year ago, to a top-30 prospect last summer to a top-10 player by June. In September, 247Sports moved him to its No. 4 overall player in the 2026 class.

Here’s what 247Sports’ Director of Scouting, Adam Finkelstein, wrote of him in his summer evaluation of Williams and his trajectory:

Williams is a rapidly ascending prospect with a wealth of long-term tools, and while he is not yet a finished product by any means, he has one of the higher long-term upsides in the class. Now standing at 6-foot-11 with shoes on, he has mobility, athleticism, budding face-up skill, and defensive versatility alike.

He’s a bouncy leaper, excellent runner, and can really cover the court at his size. He has soft natural touch and shows shooting potential to not only space the floor, but even shoot off the dribble, even with a relatively quick natural release. He’s comfortable putting the ball on the floor a bit, albeit a bit upright, and has a terrific left hand, even making tough finishes around the rim. Defensively, he’s a true rim protector (3.3 per game in 3SSB play) and active rebounder (8.5 per game, including 2.4 offensive). He’s diligent about getting into a stance when pulled to the perimeter, proactive moving his feet, and disciplined contesting shots, even if he’s not yet great laterally or always polished with the angle of his feet.

Physically, he’s cut up, but still lean with a more naturally narrow core (7-foot-1.5 wingspan). He’s not averse to playing through contact, and has good natural body control even when knocked off his spots, but his game should go to new levels as he adds more muscle mass.

The commitment gives Duke its third verbal commitment of the 2026 cycle and second of the five-star variety. He joins fellow five-star recruit Bryson Howard and four-star recruit Maxime Meyer in the class. 

Duke is positioned in the cycle to finish off with big moves, too, as No. 2 overall recruit Jordan Smith is currently considered a Duke lean in the 247Sports crystal ball. The addition of Smith could give the Blue Devils the inside track to securing a third consecutive No. 1 overall recruiting class under Jon Scheyer.

The Devil’s Den is the go-to source for all of the latest VIP insider Duke scoop. Sign up for a VIP membership now and join the conversation to experience the power of The Devil’s Den community where fans connect and get even more insider information from our experts on staff.