Villanova Men’s Basketball Lands in Top Ten for 2026 Five-Star

Nearing the ends of their high school careers, players in the 2026 recruiting class are starting to narrow down their college choice to a handful of schools: for five-star recruit Jaxon Richardson, that list includes Villanova. He’s the son of former NBA fifth overall pick Jason Richardson, a 14 year veteran and two time Slam Dunk Contest champion.

Jaxon Richardson is a 6-foot-6 small forward who attends Miami’s Christopher Columbus High School. He announced via Instagram on Wednesday, July 9 that he will choose between Villanova, Alabama, Cincinnati, Creighton, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Ole Miss, Seton Hall and the University of Southern California.

ESPN currently ranks Richardson as the No. 10 recruit in the nation for his class, so bringing him into the fold would mark a major recruiting win for the Wildcats and new head coach Kevin Willard.

Villanova’s staff also recently reached out to Aiden Derkack, a small forward who checks in at No. 43 on ESPN’s rankings for 2026. Derkack originally received an offer from the Wildcats under the Kyle Neptune regime, but he announced in a July 7 Twitter post that the team re-offered him.

He tagged assistant coach Ashley Howard, a major player in the Wildcats’ recruiting efforts — and the lone member of Neptune’s coaching staff to remain with the team following the coaching change — as one of the coaches involved in his recruiting.

Click here for a look at other recruits Villanova offered in the class of 2026, the class of 2027, and miscellaneous recent offers.