STAY OR LEAVE; head coach John Calipari breaks silence on star guard Dajuan Wagner Jr. with Arkansas Razorbacks driving away many doubts and speculations on Arkansas’s asset..
After weeks of swirling rumors, online whispers, and intense speculation, Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari has finally broken his silence regarding star guard Dajuan Wagner Jr.—and his message was as bold as it was clear.
“He’s not going anywhere,” Calipari said bluntly during a press conference Wednesday evening. “Dajuan Wagner Jr. is locked in. He believes in this program, and we believe in him. He’s not just part of what we’re building—he is what we’re building around.”
The announcement sent a wave of relief through Razorbacks Nation, which has been on edge since reports surfaced suggesting Wagner was reconsidering his commitment amid outside pressure, rumored NIL offers, and a growing list of schools attempting to lure him away.
Calipari, who took over the Arkansas program in a blockbuster move after leaving Kentucky, addressed those rumors head-on.
“There’s always noise,” he said. “When you have a player as talented as Dajuan, people are going to come calling. But this isn’t just about basketball. This is about trust. This is about a shared vision. And Dajuan sees that here.”
Wagner, the son of former NBA guard Dajuan Wagner Sr. and a former Kentucky recruit, followed Calipari to Arkansas in one of the biggest transfer moves of the offseason. The decision marked a turning point for the Razorbacks, signaling a new era under the Hall of Fame coach.
So when murmurs began suggesting Wagner might leave—especially after other key players across the NCAA began re-entering the portal—fans feared the worst. Social media lit up with conflicting reports, and national analysts speculated Arkansas might struggle to retain its top talent amid the rapidly shifting college basketball landscape.
But Calipari’s firm response appears to have extinguished those doubts, at least for now.
Wagner Jr., for his part, has yet to release a public statement, though sources close to him say he remains “fully committed” and “excited for what’s coming in Fayetteville.”
The sophomore guard is expected to be a centerpiece of Calipari’s system, bringing elite shot-making, court vision, and the kind of high-level pedigree that Razorback fans have been dreaming of for years. In his freshman season, Wagner averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, showing flashes of the all-conference talent many believe he can become.
With Calipari at the helm, and Wagner firmly in the fold, the Razorbacks are quickly becoming one of the most talked-about programs heading into the 2025-26 season.