Duke lands prized Deron Rippey, third 5-star commitment of ’26

Five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. announced his commitment to Duke on Tuesday, moving the Blue Devils to the top of recruiting class rankings.

Rippey chose Jon Scheyer’s program over NC State, Tennessee, Miami and Texas. He took official visits to each of his finalists, as well as a couple of other schools, with the perceived favorite shifting a couple of times since the summer. But Duke turned up the heat on Rippey as the fall progressed and made him a priority in the backcourt.

“I felt like they fit my play style,” Rippey told ESPN. “They want to be on the attack on both offense and defense, and that is what I do best. My aggressive play style is different. My dream is to win a national championship. Coach Jon Scheyer recruits high-level talent and teaches those players how to play for each other. That’s the only way to win. Their plan for me is to come in to lead and make an impact on winning. I am all about both.”

Rippey visited Duke in late October and was on campus when the Blue Devils beat UCF in a preseason exhibition game.

“The fan base at Duke is different,” Rippey said. “The support for basketball is incredible, the education is of a high academic standard, and the alumni are everywhere.”

A 6-foot-1 point guard from Blair Academy (New Jersey), Rippey is the No. 16 overall prospect in the SC Next 100 and the No. 3 point guard in the country.

Rippey is one of the most explosive players, regardless of position, in high school basketball. He has elite burst in the open floor, and once he gets near the rim he is a strong and powerful finisher who has demonstrated the ability to make momentum-changing, highlight-reel plays. He thrives on paint touches and forcing the defense to help and rotate. Over the years, Rippey has demonstrated the ability to finish over bigger defenders and through contact with his NBA-level vertical leap and body control or make a kick-out pass or lob.

He displays excellent court vision and possesses strong decision-making, while his 3-point shooting has also made a jump. On the other end of the floor, Rippey is a tenacious on-ball defender.

Rippey established himself in the conversation for the best point guard in the class over the summer, when he averaged 15.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals, shooting 38.1% from 3-point range, on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.

He went head-to-head against fellow five-star point guard Taylen Kinney to open the month of July, finishing with 22 points and 11 assists. In that game, he made a contested 3 to send the game into regulation, then the game-tying layup with six seconds left, followed by the game-winning steal and assist on the ensuing possession.

Rippey is the third five-star commitment in Duke’s 2026 class, joining No. 2 Cameron Williams and No. 17 Bryson Howard. The Blue Devils also have four-star center Maxime Meyer in the fold.

Despite getting a late start on its class — Howard didn’t commit until late October, and Williams pledged in mid-November — Duke is now atop the recruiting class rankings, moving from No. 3 to No. 1 with the addition of Rippey. If the Blue Devils finish out the cycle with the best class in the country, it would mark the third consecutive class that Scheyer has landed the top-ranked group.

“Coach Scheyer is a very smart coach,” Rippey said. “He is just as in tune with his players on the court as he is off the court, which is why Duke’s culture and standards are where they are today.”

Duke still remains in the mix for Jordan Smith, the top ranked uncommitted guard in the class.