Decision Dossier: Five-star Darius Acuff Jr.
One of those most in-demand guards in the 2025 class, Darius Acuff Jr. has a long list of options and is in no hurry to make a college commitment. The five-star prospect’s recruitment is beginning to take shape, however, as programs to watch are emerging. Today, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy looks at the development picture of Acuff’s recruitment and discusses the programs that feel worth monitoring at the time being.
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More from Cassidy: Takeaways from a month on the road
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2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
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THE MAJOR PLAYERS: Kentucky and Michigan
It’s early, sure, but the Wildcats and Wolverines seem like the most likely schools to land Acuff when decision time arrives. Part of that, of course, is that the two programs are the only ones that have gotten the five-star on campus so far. The line of thinking goes beyond that, however.
Acuff comes from a talented basketball family that is well known in Detroit hoops circles and has a strong sense of pride in his home city and state. Add in the fact that he’s already extremely comfortable with Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and assistant Saddi Washington, and there’s reason for optimism. Acuff has called the program his “dream school” in the past and will likely make additional visits to campus in the coming year. Should the coaching situation at Michigan become more unstable than it is currently down in the year ahead, however, the Wolverines may have to do some serious work to stay in the hunt.
The allure of Kentucky is based on the program’s history of putting guards in the NBA, and the UK staff played that angle up during Acuff’s October visit to Lexington. The Wildcat program also seems miles more stable than Michigan at the moment, which could play into John Calipari’s hand down the road as things begin to shake out.
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THE FRINGE POSSIBILITIES: Houston and Rutgers
Acuff is yet to visit either campus but says he plans to in the future. Houston has been involved with him for some time and has certainly piqued the five star’s interest. If he gets on campus, Kelvin Sampson could kick in the door to the top tier of the IMG Academy star’s recruitment.
Much of what can be said about Houston also applies to Rutgers. Acuff has expressed interest in taking an official visit to Piscataway but no date has been set for such a trip. That said, the fact that the Scarlet Knights appear to be major players for top talent in the NIL era shouldn’t be cast aside, especially if things continue to go south for the Michigan coaching staff in the year ahead. Should 2024 five-star signee Dylan Harper thrive in Steve Pikiell’s system, it will provide another clip of recruiting ammunition for the Rutgers staff down the stretch.
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THE DARK HORSES: Indiana and Texas
The Longhorns and Hoosiers feel like teams on the periphery of Acuff’s process at the recruitment, but both have been discussed as possible visit destinations. The bad news for Indiana is that it seems there are more likely options should Acuff decide to play his college hoops in the Big Ten. The good news is that the head coach Mike Woodson has proven the ability to insert himself in the thick of high-profile recruitments once he’s able to get those prospects on campus for a visit. Texas probably has a bit more optimistic outlook but still feels like an afterthought for the time being. Head coach Rodney Terry is beginning to take a personal interest in Acuff, and the fact that the Longhorns are thriving under the second-year head coach’s leadership is certainly worth noting. UT could become a serious player should Acuff visit Austin.