Briarcrest star Fred Smith Jr. announced his commitment to Penny Hardaway and the Tigers on Thursday afternoon. The four-star forward announced his decision during a ceremony at Briarcrest High School.
Smith chose Memphis over offers from Ole Miss, Saint Louis and Missouri.
Smith completed a decorated high school career by winning the TSSAA Division II-AA state championship and winning the Division II-AA Mr. Basketball award last month. It’s the second time he’s been awarded the Mr. Basketball honors, and it’s the second state championship that he’s won with the Saints.
Smith recorded over 1,900 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in his career, and he averaged 21 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists during his senior campaign. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 88 player in the country and the No. 2 player in the state of Tennessee.
The 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward joins three-star small forward Cello Jackson as the only two players committed to Hardaway in the 2026 class. Smith has a close relationship with Jackson, and the two visited Memphis together on September 19.
Jackson is a Memphis native and started his high school career at FACS before transferring to Columbus High School in Miami.
Memphis was Smith’s first visit before taking officials to Ole Miss and Saint Louis later in the fall. Smith joins Jackson as the only two commits in the 2026 class, and they became the first American high school players to commit to the Tigers since Jared Harris in the 2024 class.
If Smith and Jackson both remain committed to Hardaway’s program, it will be the most true freshmen Memphis has had on a roster since 2023, when five freshmen enrolled at the University, although Mikey Williams never joined the team.
It’s unclear how Smith will be used during his first season with the program, but it’s clear that fans in the area will be cheering for the hometown prospect to see early playing time.
With the recent commitment, the Tigers have four players committed to next season’s roster and will have 11 spots available to fill ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.