It’s official, Deron Rippey Jr. is a Blue Devil.
On Tuesday afternoon, the No. 1 point guard in the class of 2026 committed to the Duke Blue Devils over a lengthy list of other powerhouse programs, including the NC State Wolfpack and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Rippey also snubbed the Tennessee Volunteers, Texas Longhorns, and Miami Hurricanes, giving the Blue Devils an even bigger ego boost as the program’s recruiting success continues to blossom.
With Rippey’s commitment, Duke and head coach Jon Scheyer moved into position to claim their third consecutive No. 1 class in the country, an incredible feat for a head coach only in his fourth year in the role.
Duke Blue Devils land their next 5-star legend
In 2024, it was Cooper Flagg. In 2025, it was Cameron Boozer. Now, Scheyer’s newest star is set to be Rippey, who was one of the most highly coveted players in his upcoming recruiting cycle.
As the No. 12 national prospect, Rippey received 44 Division I offers, including a plethora of offers from Blue Blood programs like Duke, UNC, Kansas, Kentucky, and more.
Leading up to his commitment, recruiting experts started to pour in their predictions for who the young point guard would choose, including a crystal ball prediction that he would choose the Blue Devils over the other perennial programs on his list.
Rippey is currently on the Naismith Boys’ High School Player of the Year Watch List and is lighting up the high school basketball scene throughout his senior season.
Through four games, Rippey has already amassed 79 points, 16 assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Over the first three seasons of his high school career, he averaged over 13 points, 2.42 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Simply put, Rippey is a massive land for Scheyer and his staff, and he joins a recruiting class that is already ranked No. 5 in the nation. Five-star power forward Cameron Williams, five-star small forward Bryson Howard, and four-star center Maxime Meyer have all signed with the Blue Devils already.
