Get To Know 5-Star Duke Commit Deron Rippey Jr.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff currently sit with the No. 1 overall 2026 recruiting class according to 247Sports, which would mark the third consecutive season where the Blue Devils have inked the nation's top overall class. Scheyer and Co. have sealed commitments from three 5-star prospects already and are still heavily in the running for 5-star guard Jordan Smith Jr.

The newest of those 2026 commits, 5-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr., became the first backcourt addition to the team's recruiting class. The 6' 2", 175-pound guard is rated as the No. 12 overall player, No. 1 point guard, and No. 1 player out of New Jersey according to the 247Sports 2026 Composite Rankings.

Rippey is a high-level athlete who plays with tons of intensity on the defensive side of the ball. With the possibility that both of Duke's current point guards, Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer, make the jump to the NBA following the 2025-26 college basketball season, Rippey could be handed the keys to the offense from day one.

Get To Know Newest Duke 5-Star Commit Deron Rippey Jr.

Get to know future Duke guard Deron Rippey Jr. It’s a great feature and well worth the watch. Legendary coach @CoachMantegna has nothing but high praise for a special player who’s an even better person off the court.😈@SportsStarsTV h/t @rippey_deron pic.twitter.com/VJuE2FXSR1
— Blue Devil Voices (@DukeEchoes) January 12, 2026

Rippey plays at Blair Academy (NJ), one of the top high school programs across the prep circuit, led by 27-year head coach Joe Mantegna.

"The biggest thing that attracted me was his 'want to' and his feel for the game," Mantegna said about Rippey. "That came through in spite of his small stature."

Rippey comes from a basketball family. His father, Deron Rippey Sr., played collegiate basketball at East Carolina. His sister, De'Naya, currently plays at Saint Peter's University in New Jersey.

"What really sparked it was just my dad's backstory growing up," Rippey said on the beginning of his basketball career. "Coming from Brooklyn, New York, he didn't have a lot of the resources that I have today. Just seeing his impact on my family and where he made it from what he came from, it really made me want to get into the sport."

Rippey Describes His Game

"I'm a very true point guard, I would say," Rippey described. "I impact the game offensively and defensively. Causing disruption on defense and being able to touch the paint and create shots for others. Right now, I'm working on my shot."

5⭐️ Duke commit Deron Rippey Jr. led Blair to a 58-55 win over The Patrick School last night 😈🚨 @rippey_deron @BlairAcademyMBB pic.twitter.com/bz7kmVmYp1
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) January 10, 2026

Rippey ultimately committed to the Blue Devils over NC State, Miami, Texas, and Tennessee. Duke has sealed two other 5-star 2026 commitments on forwards Cameron Williams and Bryson Howard, as well as 4-star Canadian seven-footer Maxime Meyer, but Rippey is the only true backcourt piece currently a part of the class.

With stellar defensive instincts and effort mixed with an all-around offensive game that projects very well at the next level, Rippey will certainly be an integral piece to the team's rotation in 2026-27. With how much room the elite guard still has to grow, there aren't many better coaches in terms of developing young talent than Scheyer.

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