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

five star point guard Deron Rippy Jr.announced its commitment to ruler On Tuesday, the Blue Devils were moved to the top of the recruiting class rankings.

Rippy chose John Scheyer’s program. nc state, tennessee, miami And texasHe took official visits to each of his finalists, as well as a few other schools, as well as a few reported favorite transfers since the summer, But as the fall progressed, Duke increased the pressure on Rippy and prioritized him in the backcourt,

“I felt like they fit my style of play,” Rippy told ESPN. “They want to be aggressive on both offense and defense, and that’s what I do best. My offensive playing style is different. My dream is to win a national championship. Coach John Scheyer recruits high-level talent and teaches those players how to play for each other. That’s the only way to win. His plan for me is to lead and impact winning. I’m all about both.”

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

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

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

Rippy is one of the most explosive players, regardless of position, in high school basketball. He has excellent performance in the open court, and once he gets close to the rim, he is a strong and powerful finisher who has demonstrated the ability to make momentum-changing, highlight-reel plays. He is able to get touches of the paint and force the defense to help and rotate. Over the years, Rippy has demonstrated the ability to eliminate larger defenders and make kickout passes or lobs through his NBA-level vertical leap and body control.

He displays excellent court vision and has strong decision-making abilities, while his 3-point shooting has also taken a leap. At the other end of the field, Rippy is a tenacious on-ball defender.

Rippy established himself in the conversation for 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 while shooting 38.1% from 3-point range on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit.

He faced off against fellow five-star point guards tylane kinney Started the month of July with 22 points and 11 assists. In that game, he hit a 3 to send the game into overtime, then made a game-tying layup with six seconds remaining, followed by the game-winning steal and assist on the ensuing possession.

Rippy is Duke’s third five-star commitment in the 2026 class, joining the No. 2 cameron williams and number 17 bryson howardThe Blue Devils also have a four-star center maxim mayer In the bottom.

Despite getting a late start to their class – Howard didn’t commit until late October, and Williams pledged in mid-November – Duke now tops the recruiting class rankings, moving from No. 3 to No. 1 with Rippy’s addition. If the Blue Devils complete the cycle with the best class in the country, it will be the third consecutive class that Scheyer has reached the top-ranked group.

“Coach Scheyer is a very smart coach,” Rippy said. “He shares the same chemistry with his players on the court as he does off the court, which is why Duke’s culture and standards are still where they are today.”

Duke still in the mix Jordan SmithTop-ranked uncommitted guard in the class.