Blue Devil Country

Duke In Strong Position To Land Two Five-Stars

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer has put his team in a great position to land not one, but two five-star players.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Nov 14, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the second half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
Nov 14, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the second half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

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Duke Blue Devils

When it comes to the Duke Blue Devils, they're seemingly in every race for a five-star player. No matter who it is, Duke is always hovering and can get basically whoever they want at any given moment. Their Class of 2026 is incredible, as all three of their players are Top 100 recruits.

Obviously, head coach Jon Scheyer isn't satisfied with that. Most teams would die for just one Top 100 recruit, but by the time everything settles, Duke could easily have five on their team. At this point, Rivals' Joe Tipton believes the Blue Devils are the odds-on favorites to land not one, but two other five-star players.

Five-Star SG Jordan Smith Jr.

One of the most intriguing prospects in the Class of 2026 is Jordan Smith Jr. He's had his final six narrowed down since Aug, but has yet to make any sort of decision. Seeing as he just visited Syracuse, it goes to show how undecided he truly is.

That said, Tipton knows that Duke has long been his top option: "Duke has been viewed as the frontrunner for several months." Tipton believes that his visit with Syracuse has a chance to sway things, but the only other team the Blue Devils should be concerned about is Arkansas.

At this point, Smith Jr. is deciding between Duke, Arkansas, Georgetown, Kentucky, Indiana, and Syracuse. While they aren't all necessarily top schools, each has a case to land the No. 2 player in the nation.

Five-Star PG Deron Rippey Jr.

To no surprise, Duke is considered the frontrunner for Rippey Jr. The No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2026 finally narrowed down his list to five schools, which include NC State, Duke, Miami, and Texas. Tipton believes that Tennessee, NC State, and Duke are in the strongest position.

From everything that's been going on, NC State is worth keeping an eye on. Head coach Will Wade might not be as much of a household name as Jon Scheyer, but Wade had back-to-back visits lined up with the top two point guards in the nation. Rippey still has yet to make a decision, but Tipton believes he'll do so in Dec.

He commented, "It's a pretty tight race and I'm not ready to pick a leader." Knowing that, Duke still has their work cut out for them. The Blue Devils cannot settle as they need to be all gas, no breaks, in pursuit of bringing Rippey Jr. to Durham.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.