John Calipari’s roster puzzle is down to its final piece.
Arkansas has 14 of 15 scholarship spots filled for 2026-27, and the coaching staff has zeroed in on one name to close things out.
HawgSports analyst Connor Goodson has placed a Crystal Ball prediction toward the Razorbacks landing four-star center Caleb Ourigou, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound big man out of Woodmere, N.Y.
He’s expected to reclassify into the 2026 class so he can suit up for Arkansas right away.
Ourigou has already made his way through four visits in a single week, and Arkansas got the final look.
Before that stop in Fayetteville, the big man toured UConn and BYU, two programs that pushed hard for his commitment.
UConn ultimately backed off the reclass idea and shifted its recruitment of Ourigou toward the 2027 cycle instead, choosing to build for the future rather than fill an immediate frontcourt need.
BYU remains in the mix but shifting focus
That leaves Arkansas and BYU as the two schools still chasing Ourigou as a 2026 reclass who could step onto the floor this coming season.
Both programs need frontcourt help now, and Goodson’s reporting shows Calipari’s staff has stayed locked onto Ourigou as its lone target at the position.
Sources told HawgSports the Cougars have been working multiple big man options at once and are reportedly chasing another prospect that could pull attention away from their Ourigou pursuit.
NIL money still looms over every recruitment, and BYU has put together a competitive package for Ourigou, according to Goodson’s sourcing.
Even so, those same sources believe Calipari and the Hogs have kept the advantage and feel good about where the recruitment stands.
Sources close to Ourigou also told HawgSports that Arkansas left the strongest impression among all four schools he visited over the past week.
Decision timeline still taking shape
The recruitment now shifts toward a decision date.
Sources told HawgSports last week that Ourigou plans to announce before Peach Jam begins and could even suit up for the event afterward, much like fellow reclass target and current Arkansas commit Davion Thompson.
Whether Ourigou actually plays in the tournament remains unclear, and people close to the situation haven’t confirmed either way.
No official announcement date has been set, but people close to Ourigou expect a decision as soon as this week.
Based on conversations with sources near the player and inside the Arkansas program, Goodson’s reporting points to the Razorbacks getting the call when the decision finally comes.
Three key takeaways
- Arkansas basketball has one open scholarship left for 2026-27, and Ourigou is viewed as the top target to fill it.
- BYU remains competitive on NIL but reportedly split its attention across multiple center targets while Arkansas stayed focused solely on Ourigou.
- Sources close to Ourigou expect a decision as early as this week, with Arkansas expected to be the program that gets the call.
