Class of 2026 four-star forward and the No. 1 player in the state of Arkansas, JJ Andrews, has officially committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks. The 6-6, 220-pound Little Rock native made his decision official on Thursday afternoon in a ceremony at Little Rock Christian Academy. He chose the Hogs over a final three that included Missouri and LSU.
Andrews is the son of former Arkansas offensive line great and two-time NFL Pro Bowler, Shawn Andrews, meaning he’s a Razorback legacy prospect. As far as the 2026 recruiting cycle goes, the Little Rock Christian Academy product currently checks in as the No. 42 overall player and No. 16 small forward in the country.
According to the 247Sports industry-generated composite rankings, Andrews grades out slightly better as the No. 37 overall player and No. 15 small forward in the cycle. He remains the top-rated rated player in the state of Arkansas with a composite rating of 0.9851.
Missouri head coach Dennis Gates and his coaching staff made Andrews a top priority from an early stage in his recruitment and is believed to have finished second. Arkansas assistant coaches Chin Coleman and Ronnie Brewer have been very involved in Andrews’ recruitment throughout.
Andrews made it very clear early on in his recruitment, when speaking with 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins, that his decision would be more about fit and connection than just the fact his father was an all-time great Hog on the gridiron.
“I know how great [John Calipari] is at developing players and getting them to the next level,” Andrews said. “It is cool for him to recruit me and come to my games to check me out. I talk to Chin Coleman and Ronnie Brewer. I feel I can learn a lot there and fit in with their style of play. I just want to get to know them better. A lot of people try to get my ideas on them because my dad played football there but my decision will be about fit for me.”
This past summer at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, he led Brad Beal Elite to the 16U championship. During that seven-game title run, Andrews averaged 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals while knocking down 65.8% of his shots from the field, 31.3% from three and 76.2% from the charity stripe.
A little over a week ago, 247Sports recruiting analyst Eric Bossi was at the Nike EYBL Mesa event out in Arizona and had the chance to check out Andrews, who is once again leading Brad Beal Elite this summer. In the first three games of the Mesa event, Andrews made his presence felt as he averaged 19.7 points on 71.9% shooting from the field and 50% from three to go along with 4.3 rebounds.
“Chalk up another strong weekend for Brad Beal Elite wing JJ Andrews,” Bossi wrote. “Just a few weeks ago at USA Basketball we were impressed by the growth of his game and once again he looked to have made real strides. A powerful and athletic 6-foot-6 wing, Andrews is becoming a better jump shooter and the biggest reason we can tell is smart shot selection. He’s figuring out when to be a bully and when to rely on skill and it’s paying big dividends for the No. 42 ranked junior.”
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