Duke basketball appears to be the frontrunner to secure a commitment from four-star recruit.
In search of a versatile forward to round out head coach Jon Scheyer’s fourth roster, the Duke staff began showing interest in Hawthorne a few weeks ago. Since then, they’ve visited the 6-foot-8, 190-pound prospect at Huntington Prep in West Virginia and hosted him on an official visit to Durham starting this past Friday.
Not only does Duke seem to be leading in Hawthorne’s recruitment, but his national profile is also quickly rising.
Though Hawthorne is currently ranked No. 105 in the 2025 247Sports Composite, that’s a jump of 142 spots since December. Individually, 247Sports places him at No. 71, while On3 ranks him even higher at No. 35, making him the third-highest uncommitted player in the class after climbing 13 spots since March.
Previously committed to West Virginia before decommitting in late March, Hawthorne has also taken visits to Pitt, Kentucky, and Virginia Tech.
Duke’s 2025 recruiting class is already loaded, featuring three five-star standouts—Nikolas Khamenia from Harvard-Westlake (CA), and twin brothers Cameron and Cayden Boozer from Columbus High School (FL). They’re expected to join returning talent and potential transfer additions for another strong roster.