Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils made a big splash in the 2026 recruiting class, landing the commitment of five-star guard Deron Rippey Jr.
Rippey announced his pledge to the program on Tuesday, via ESPN. Hailing from Blairstown, New Jersey, he had offers from Power Five programs like Miami, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Syracuse before committing to the Blue Devils.
“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 has a four-star ranking with a 97 score on 247Sports. He ranks as the top player from the state of New Jersey, the second-best player at his position, and the 16th-best player in the entire class. His composite score of 0.9953 puts him in five-star territory, seeing him at the top spot locally and positionally while being 12th in the country.
“Rippey is an explosively athletic lead guard who can set the tone on the defensive end of the floor. He pressures the ball, picks up the length of the floor, gets over ball-screens, and is ideal at the point of attack. While there could be times down the road where his lack of size and length could be targeted on that end, that's strictly theoretical right now,” 247Sports associate editor Ross Martin wrote.
“Like many dynamic athletes, Rippey can assert himself in spurts, and so there have been times in the past when he could be a little suspect with his decisions (3.1 turnovers) or shot-selection (38% FG). The bottom line is that Rippey's defense and athleticism separate him, and he has the motor to maximize both. He's also a worker who has cut up his frame and has established a track record of consistently improving his game.
What's next for Duke after landing Deron Rippey Jr.
It's big pickup in the 2026 class for Jon Scheyer and Duke to pull off, liking the high-level skillet
Rippey earned his attention as one of the class's top prospects with his performances this past summer. He averaged 15.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He shot 38.1% from beyond the arc during his time on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.
In the meantime, Duke will look to continue its excellent 11-1 start to the 2025-26 season. The squad is averaging 87.2 points per game on offense while conceding 62.6 points per game on defense.
The No. 6 Blue Devils will look forward to their next matchup, being at home. They host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. ET.
