
Deron Rippey Jr., a 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard from Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, has been steadily rising on recruiting boards this spring.
Currently ranked No. 17 in the 247Sports Composite for the class of 2026, Rippey is regarded as one of the nation’s top five point guards.
He’s already drawn attention from several college basketball powerhouses, with programs like Tennessee, Miami, Auburn, Texas Tech, Alabama, UCLA, and Kentucky showing interest.
Now, Duke has officially entered the race.
According to recruiting insider Joe Tipton of On3, who shared the update via Instagram on Thursday, Jon Scheyer and his staff have made their first direct pitch to Rippey, signaling the Blue Devils’ intent to seriously pursue the four-star prospect.
Under head coach Jon Scheyer, Duke wrapped up the 2024–25 season with an impressive 35–4 overall record, including a dominant 19–1 run in ACC play that earned the Blue Devils both the regular-season and conference tournament titles.
Duke marched to the Final Four with victories over Mount St. Mary’s, Baylor, Arizona, and Alabama in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region, before falling just short in a hard-fought 70–67 semifinal loss to No. 2 seed Houston.
The Blue Devils have yet to secure a verbal commitment for the 2026 recruiting cycle, but they’ve been aggressive in pursuing several high-profile targets.
On Wednesday, Duke received a boost when 6-foot-8 forward Sebastian Wilkins — a four-star prospect from Brewster Academy — signed with the program. Although currently listed in the 2026 class, Wilkins is widely expected to reclassify to 2025.
Duke is also actively recruiting a number of elite prospects in the 2026 class, including five-star forwards Cameron Williams and Christian Collins, standout guard Brandon McCoy, and Jordan Smith, the No. 2 overall player nationally.
By extending an offer to Deron Rippey Jr. on Thursday, Duke has positioned itself as a serious contender to land yet another top-20 prospect.
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