Jontay Porter, one of the nation's top recruits for the class of 2018, has long been rumored to join in on his family's return to Columbia after the firing of his godfather, Lorenzo Romar, as head coach at Washington in the spring.
It's looking more likely Porter will skip ahead a year and join Missouri this fall.
News broke Thursday that Porter would join Cuonzo Martin, brother Michael Jr. and father Michael Sr. - as well as sisters Bri and Cierra, and aunt and women's basketball head coach Robin Pingeton - at Missouri, and that he'll reclassify to play the 2017-18 season with Michael Jr. He was previously committed to Missouri for 2018.
Porter told CBSSports's Gary Parrish at Nike EYBL's Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C., "That's a safe assumption," when asked about reclassifying.
He added "I wouldn't enroll at Mizzou unless I felt that way, so I'm pretty confident," addressing the difference in level of play between high school and Division I basketball.
He reclassification is not a done deal, but after months of speculation and hinting, what was once a foregone conclusion is inching toward reality. Porter has maintained he would announce his decision after the Peach Jam, which concludes Sunday.
If Porter were to join the team at some point before the beginning of the fall semester, he would be the fifth freshman of Martin's first recruiting class at Missouri and its second five-star recruit of the class, which would bump the Tigers' top-10 recruiting class even closer to the top of 2017's class rankings.
Forward Michael Porter Jr. is listed on Missouri's roster at 6-foot-10, 215 pounds, and Jontay Porter is listed on Rivals.com - where he's a five-star recruit and currently the No. 11 recruit in the class of 2018 - as 6-10, 240.
In his time at Father Tolton, Jontay Porter used his strength and size to score and rebound at will inside while keeping defenders honest with an occasional 3-pointer. His style of play as a freshman and sophomore was a little less flashy than his older brother, but he can block shots, run the floor and dunk with the same athleticism.
And he feels his game has improved, so much so he would forgo his last year of high school and the chance at a third state title - he has one in Missouri with Father Tolton and one in Washington with Nathan Hale - to play college ball.
Porter, who is in South Carolina with MOKAN Elite for the Peach Jam, scored 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting and grabbed 12 boards in the team's first-round 56-55 loss Wednesday to Howard Pulley (Minn.).
On Thursday, he was held to just three points on 1-of-8 shooting against Nike Phamily (Ariz.), but he chipped in 10 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in a 64-57 loss. In MOKAN Elite's 72-67 overtime loss to E1TI United (Fla.), Porter finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
The class of 2018's top recruit, Marvin Bagley III, plays for NIKE Phamily, and had 25 points on 10-of-21 shooting and 11 rebounds to lead his team.
MOKAN Elite, 0-3 in pool play, will likely fall short of bracket play once pool play concludes today.