Duke lands prized PG Deron Rippey Jr., third 2026 5-star commitment

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

Rippey chose Jon Scheyer’s program over NC State, Tennessee, Miami and Texas. He has made official visits to each of his finalists, as well as a few other schools, with the perceived favorite having changed several times since the summer. But Duke turned up the pressure on Rippey as the slide progressed and made him a priority in the backcourt.

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

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

“The Duke fan base 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 court, and once he gets near the rim, he is a strong, powerful finisher who has demonstrated the ability to make momentum-changing, highlight-reel plays. He thrives on touches of the paint and forcing the defense to assist and rotate. Over the years, Rippey has demonstrated the ability to finish over bigger defenders and through contact with his NBA-level vertical jump and body control or complete a pass or kick lob.

He displays excellent court vision and has solid decision-making, while his 3-point shooting has also taken a leap. On the other side of the field, Rippey is a tenacious defender of the ball.

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

He faced fellow five-star Taylen Kinney to open July, finishing with 22 points and 11 assists. In that game, he made a contested 3 to send the game into overtime, 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 commit 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 their fold.

Despite a late start to his class — Howard didn’t commit until late October and Williams committed 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 the cycle with the best class in the country, it would be the third straight class that Scheyer has held the top spot in the group.

“Coach Scheyer is a very smart coach,” Rippey said. “He is just as in tune with his players on the field as he is off the field, 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.