Five-star recruit lifts Arkansas Razorbacks’ recruiting class to No. 1

As a highly-touted 7’0″ forward, Muurinen’s commitment makes John Calipari’s recruiting class the No. 1 ranked class in the country.

Muurinen came to the United States from Finland and played for a number of high schools. After making an official visit to Arkansas in 2024, he opted to play for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia.

He spoke to ESPN on Monday about his decision to commit to the Razorbacks.

“Since my visit a year and a half ago, they’ve been consistent and committed to recruiting me. They’ve always shown interest. They’ve been very consistent, and they’ve gotten to know me as a person. That’s been very important to me,” Muurinen said.

“When I left my Arkansas visit, I was not only excited about the program but also about the people, and I said to myself, ‘those are the type of people I want to be around on a daily basis.'”

Muurinen is a hyper-athletic forward with impressive size and mobility. He isn’t officially ranked since he isn’t playing for a high school, but he’s viewed as a top-five prospect in the 2026 class.

He was recruited by a number of other high-profile schools, including Duke and North Carolina. His final decision landed him in Arkansas, where he’ll come in alongside several other five-star recruits.

The transfer portal might be more important now than ever, but Calipari continues to show the importance on elite high school recuiting.