Jakhi Howard, a five-star recruit in the 2024 class according to ESPN, is transferring to Kanye West’s Donda Academy.
In an Instagram post, Howard announced that he is going to the school, writing “I will be moving to California and I will be transferring to Donda academy , I want to THANK YOU NORCROSS and the whole BLUE DEVIL FAMILY STILL WILL BE MY FAMILY” in his caption.
Howard, a 6-foot-6, 175-pound small forward, is from Norcross, Georgia and was attending Norcross High School until announcing his intention to move to Donda. ESPN has him listed as the fifth-best prospect in the 2025 class and the third-best player at his position.
In addition to the Howard, the upstart Donda basketball program will include Jalen Hooks, an Indianapolis native and a top-100 player in the 2023 class, and Robert Dillingham, a five-star point guard prospect in the 2023 class from Lincolnton, North Carolina.
The to-be-opened private school will be located in Simi Valley, California, located near Los Angeles. Little is known about the basketball program or the school itself beyond what has been released. It’s also unclear how involved West is in the basketball program or who from the school reached out these players. All that seems clear now is that West, via the Donda Academy, is working to become another option in the growing pool of options for amateur basketball players.