The 2026 NBA Draft is set for June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and three Arkansas players are hoping to hear their names called that night.
Darius Acuff Jr, Meleek Thomas and Trevon Brazile all entered the draft this year, and a fresh round of mock drafts gives fans a good idea of where each Razorback might land.
Brazile didn’t have much choice in the matter. He’s out of college eligibility, so the NBA was his only path forward.
Acuff and Thomas both made the jump after just one season in Fayetteville, and Thomas waited until close to the deadline before deciding he’d stay in the draft instead of coming back to the Hogs.
Acuff’s decision never felt like much of a question.
He turned in one of the best seasons any Arkansas player has ever had, putting up 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game while shooting 48.4% from the field.
He picked up SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year and the Bob Cousy Award along the way.
There simply wasn’t a reason for him to wait another year.
Thomas put together a strong freshman year of his own, averaging 15.6 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 43.5% from the field and 41.6% from three.
He sat at the back end of round one in most projections before deciding to leave.
Acuff projected as a top-seven pick
Across the board, Acuff is showing up as one of the safer bets near the top of the first round.
SB Nation, Yahoo Sports, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and CBS Sports analyst Jeremy Woo all have him going to the Brooklyn Nets with the sixth overall pick, while CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish has him sliding one spot to the Sacramento Kings at No. 7.
The Ringer also lines him up with the Nets at six.
Given how consistent he’s shown up across these boards, it’s hard to picture Acuff falling past the top seven.
He carried Arkansas through close games all season and built a reputation as someone who wants the ball when it matters most.
Thomas and Brazile land later in the order
Thomas projects as a late first-round pick in most spots.
SB Nation and ESPN both slot him to Minnesota at No. 28, Yahoo Sports has him going to Charlotte at No. 18, CBS Sports’ Finkelstein has him to Cleveland at No. 29 and The Ringer puts him with Dallas at the very end of round one at No. 30.
Brazile’s projections sit deeper in the second round.
SB Nation has him going to Minnesota at No. 28, Yahoo Sports slots him to Chicago at No. 26 in round two, CBS Sports has him going to San Antonio at No. 42 and ESPN’s Woo has him landing with Sacramento at No. 45.
He turned in a strong showing at the NBA Combine and was a key part of Arkansas’ Sweet 16 run last season, which has helped his stock late in the process.
With draft night just over a week away, Razorback fans will have plenty to watch when the picks start coming in on June 23.
