Recruiting Update: Who Are Georgetown’s Top Targets in the Class of 2021?

Recruiting Update: Who Are Georgetown’s Top Targets in the 2021 Class?

Despite the considerable restrictions on activity due to the coronavirus, Georgetown’s staff has been hard at work recruiting top players from around the country. As it stands, Georgetown is set to have at least three open spots available for the class of 2021 with Jamorko Pickett, Jahvon Blair, Chudier Bile and Jalen Harris being out of eligibility after this season, as well as the newly reclassified Tyler Beard ready to join in 2021. Georgetown appears to be in good standing with several top recruits, though it remains uncertain just how many if any of these recruits we will ultimately land. This is a list of some of the recruits Georgetown has been linked to in the past few months, though note that the staff often does its best work in silence, and there are certainly many recruits we have not heard about yet that the staff has reached out to and that might be even higher priorities than these players.

Point Guard

Frankie Collins, 6’1 (NV)

• Ranking: #58 per 247Sports Composite
• Many Georgetown fans are probably familiar with this name, as Collins went on an official visit last year with fellow recruit Ryan Mutombo. Collins appears to be one of our top targets at the position. There is little Collins cannot do on the court, as he possesses excellent athleticism, court vision, and scoring ability.
• List: Georgetown made Collins’ top eight along with Auburn, Kansas, Arizona State, Michigan, Vanderbilt, USC and New Mexico State.

Bensley Joseph, 6’1 (MA)

• Ranking: #92 per 247Sports Composite
• Joseph is known as a two-way player that excels on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Coach Ewing recently completed a Zoom call with Joseph and his family.
• List: Georgetown made Joseph’s top five along with Providence, Miami, Marquette and Boston College.

Malachi Smith, 6’1 (NY)

• Ranking: #197 per 247Sports Composite
• Smith is considered one of the best players in New York, and many analysts have suggested Smith’s recruitment would’ve exploded this season if AAU games had gone as planned. Coach Ewing has reportedly conducted several calls with Smith. Smith is the younger brother of Dayton standout Scoochie Smith which is why many analysts have linked Malachi to the Flyers, however Georgetown appears to be at the top of his list.
• List: Dayton, Georgetown, Rutgers, East Carolina, and many others.

Khalil Brantley, 6’1 (NY)

• Ranking: N/A, #44 PG per 247Sports, 3-star PG per Rivals
• Brantley is a massively underranked opportunity for the Hoyas to grab at point guard. He is quick, athletic, and hyper-competitive as would be expected for a guard out of Brooklyn. Coach Ewing seems to be making New York guards a priority.
• List: Creighton, Georgetown, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall

Other names

• Darius Johnson
• Zay Folkes
• Emaryon McDonald
• Jaylen Blakes
• Lynn Greer III

Shooting Guard

Aminu Mohammed, 6’4 (KS, hometown is DC)

• Ranking: #10 per 247Sports Composite
• This is the probably the player that should keep all of us up at night. Aminu Mohammed is one of the best players in the country, and recent reports suggest the Hoyas have put themselves in a strong position to potentially land the standout recruit. Although I have him listed as a shooting guard, Aminu likely can play any position from the 1 through 4, and his versatility is precisely why he is one of the most highly recruited players in the country. Aminu does not seem to be close to a decision, however, and Georgetown’s staff (and fans!) will need to continue to push for Aminu over the next few months if we are to add this potentially trajectory-altering recruit. Aminu and his guardian Shawn Harmon are from D.C., and Aminu has made it clear that academics are an extremely important factor in his decision-making process. Where better to go for that and high-major basketball than Georgetown?
• List: Indiana, Georgetown, Louisville, Harvard, Maryland, Kansas State

Jordan Riley, 6’4 (NY)

• Ranking: #136 per Rivals
• Jordan Riley joins Malachi Smith and Khalil Brantley as top guards in the state of New York being recruited by Georgetown. Riley possesses jump-out-the-gym athleticism, is a fairly talented shooter and has a tremendous knack for defense. He is the type of player where you seriously shake your head wondering how he isn’t at the very least a consensus top-50 guy. Riley is set to announce his college decision this Friday, and most of the buzz lately has been around St. John’s.
• List: Georgetown made Riley’s top five along with St. John’s, Florida State, Kansas and UConn.

Jaden Hardy, 6’4 (NV)

• Ranking: #5 per 247Sports Composite
• Similar to Aminu, Hardy is widely considered one of the top players in the class. Georgetown successfully found itself in Hardy’s top 12, however his recruitment feels like one that likely ends with a commitment to a blue blood.
• List: Kentucky, Arizona, Arizona State, Georgetown, Memphis, Michigan, and many others

Trevor Keels, 6’5 (VA)

• Ranking: #16 per 247Sports Composite
• Every year there is one or two players from the DMV that stands out as an elite recruit with legitimate NBA potential, and for 2021 that recruit is Trevor Keels. Although Keels attends local powerhouse Paul VI, Georgetown does not seem to be amongst the top schools for Keels. Smart money seems to be on UVA, Duke or Villanova for Keels’ services.
• List: UVA, Duke, Michigan, Ohio State, Villanova, and many others

Jordan Hawkins, 6’5 (MD)

• Ranking: #49 per 247Sports Composite
• Hawkins is also considered one of the top players from the DMV and will likely join a long line of elite college players to come out of DeMatha. In particular, Hawkins is known for his silky-smooth jump shot as well as his excellent size and length for the position. It is unclear how involved Georgetown is at this point for Hawkins as we offered him relatively late in the process. Based on recent Rivals Futurecasts and 247Sports Crystal Balls, Xavier might be in the lead on this one.
• List: Xavier, Marquette, Maryland, Louisville, Michigan and many others.

Erik Reynolds, 6’2 (MD)

• Ranking: #160 per 247Sports Composite
• Reynolds’ relationship with the staff is likely a fairly new one, as the staff only offered him last month. Reynolds was part of a talented backcourt at the Bullis School along with 2022 recruit Rodney Rice, but will now take over leadership of the team with Rice headed for DeMatha for his final two years of high school. Reynolds’ recruitment is still in its early stages and a clear favorite has not yet been determined.
• List: Georgetown, Eastern Carolina, George Mason, VCU, Richmond, and many others

Brandon Murray, 6’5 (MD)

• Ranking: N/A, 3-star per Rivals
• Ah, the one that got away! Murray had Georgetown in his list of final five schools until he announced his reclassification to the class of 2021 and transfer to IMG Academy. Nothing has linked Georgetown to Murray since his reclassification, and it is unclear if we are still involved for the talented post-grad out of Baltimore. Based on recent reports it would not be a complete surprise to see him at an SEC school.
• List: LSU, Baylor, Georgia, Tennesee, DePaul and many others

Other Names

• Alexis Reyes
• Lucas Taylor
• Deebo Coleman
• Nisine Poplar

Small Forward

Patrick Baldwin, 6’9 (WI)

• Ranking: #1 per 247Sports Composite
• Baldwin is either the best or second-best player in the 2021 class, and it would not be a stretch to call him one of the best shooters to come out of high school in the last decade. Baldwin recently listed Georgetown as one of the schools recruiting him the hardest along with Duke, Northwestern (where his parents played) and Milwaukee (where his dad currently coaches). In particular he noted that the staff has been at several of his games and we continue to be one of the most aggressive programs trying to land him. Duke is the odds-favorite for Baldwin, and I would suggest fans not get their hopes up too high for him despite the very positive things he has said about us.
• List: Duke, UNC, Georgetown, Northwestern, Milwaukee and many others.

James Graham III, 6’8 (WI)

• Ranking: #150 per 247Sports Composite (expect a noticeable boost to this in the near future)
• Graham’s recruitment has exploded lately, as several programs have made the small forward out of Wisconsin a priority. Graham attends Nicolet High School, where current commit Jamari Sibley attended prior to his transfer to Oak Hill in Virginia. Graham has impressive measurables and athleticism, and looks to have the exact skillset college coaches would want from a wing for today’s style of basketball.
• List: Georgetown made Graham’s top 9 along with Auburn, Maryland, Florida State, Vanderbilt, Memphis, Wisconsin, Marquette and Michigan State.

Jakai Robinson, 6’4 (MD)

• Ranking: #75 per 247Sports Composite
• Robinson might not be a name many Georgetown fans are familiar with, but I would argue that he is one you may want to get familiar with the most, as word on the street is he is one of the staff’s top priorities in the class. Robinson is a skilled shooter and versatile player that can be slotted at the 2 or 3. Robinson hails from the DMV and plays at National Christian Academy. Personally, he is one of my favorite players in the class, and I would love to see the staff add a talented local player like him. Seton Hall might be the favorite here, but I fully expect Georgetown to be heavily involved in this one until it’s over.
• List: Seton Hall, Georgetown, UConn, Florida, Miami and many others.

Other names

• Peyton Watson
• Nate Santos
• Daniel Nixon

Power Forward

Chet Holmgren, 7’0 (MN)

• Ranking: #2 per 247Sports Composite
• Baldwin and Holmgren are generally considered the top two players in the class, and for good reason. Holmgren is about as “unicorn” as you can get - he stands at a whopping seven-feet tall but plays like a guard. It’s hard to really classify what his true position is since he has a compelling argument to call himself anything from a shooting guard to a center. The first player that comes to mind when you watch his game is Kevin Durant, which should tell you just how difficult stealing a top player like Chet will be. Georgetown has been involved in this one since the beginning, and Chet took an unofficial visit to campus last year. However, Gonzaga feels like the heavy favorite to land him.
• List: Georgetown made Holmgren’s top seven along with Minnesota, Michigan, Gonzaga, Ohio State, Memphis and North Carolina

KJ Adams, 6’6 (TX)

• Ranking: #73 per 247Sports Composite
• One word comes to my mind when I watch KJ Adams play: bruiser. Adams is an extremely explosive player out of Texas, and his strength and athleticism makes him a tough player to defend when down low. Adams recently stated Baylor, Iona and Georgetown were the three teams recruiting him the hardest. That said, Baylor has received several commitments in the last week that can play the 3 or 4 like Adams, which would mean Georgetown might find itself in a good position to land Adams if they can beat out the Fighting Pitinos.
• List: Georgetown made Adam’s top ten along with Baylor, Texas, Arkansas, Iowa, Texas Tech, Kansas, Iona, UCF, and Oklahoma

Other names

• Jabari Smith
• David Joplin
• Akoldah Gak
• Legend Geeter

Center

Efton Reid, 6’11 (VA)

• #21 per 247Sports Composite
• Reid is probably the most “skilled” big man in his class and is a very competent shooter from deep. Reid possesses a lot of similarities to former Hoya big man Omer Yurtseven in that his game is more finesse and less “posty.” It’s unclear if there is a true leader for Reid just yet, however Georgetown has been involved for him for quite some time.
• List: Georgetown, UVA, Florida, Michigan, Kansas, UNC, North Carolina State, OSU, Louisville and many others.

Ryan Mutombo, 6’11 (GA)

• Ranking: #65 per 247Sports Composite
• Nothing more needs to be said about Ryan that hasn’t already been said. If you are curious for more information, please see every single piece of Georgetown recruiting coverage over the last six months.
• List: Georgetown, FSU, Georgia Tech, Arizona, Clemson, Stanford and many others.

Franck Kepnang, 6’11 (PA)

• Ranking: #25 per 247Sports Composite
• Kepnang attends Pennsylvania’s top high school basketball program Westtown School along with 2020 Commit TJ Berger, and Berger’s father Seth is Kepnang’s head coach. Kepnang is a strong rebounder and elite shot blocker, but at this stage in his development is more of a dunker than a versatile offensive weapon. Georgetown has watched Kepnang play several times last season and was recently on a Zoom call with him. There does not seem to be a clear favorite for him, although Texas A&M does have a Crystal Ball on 247Sports.
• List: Texas A&M, Pitt, Georgetown, UConn, Ohio State, St. John’s, Miami and many others.

Other names

• Roosevelt Wheeler
• Micawber “Mac” Etienne

As it should be apparent, the staff is working extremely hard to land players for 2021 that can return Georgetown to the top of the Big East. For this to happen, Georgetown needs to land one of these players sooner rather than later, as recruiting is all about momentum and once one player is brought into the fold they themselves can start recruiting other players too. While it remains to be seen who we land first and when, I am very optimistic the 2021 class will be Coach Ewing’s best one yet.