Insider Predicts Duke to Land Five-Star 2026 Guard

While it often seems like Duke is competing for the country's top prospects in every recruiting class, the Blue Devils and head coach Jon Scheyer have especially done well in the 2026 cycle, already securing commitments from three top recruits and competing for several more.

One of those other recruits is a five-star point guard, who a national recruiting analyst recently predicted would choose the Blue Devils.

Duke Predicted to Land Five-Star Point Guard

For the past few weeks, Duke's recruitment of Deron Rippey Jr., a five-star point guard from Blair Academy in Brooklyn, New York, has been heating up. In November, he named Duke as one of his final five schools, and on Tuesday, Duke On Si reported that he would announce his decision on Dec 30.

Duke Log — Oct 4, 2024; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center court logo before the Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

With less than two weeks left before Rippey makes his decision, Duke, Miami, NC State, Texas, and Tennessee remain in the running to land him. However, Jamie Shaw, Rivals' senior national basketball recruiting analyst, recently predicted that the Blue Devils will come out on top of the five-star point guard's recruitment.

In a recent article, Shaw explained that his sources have consistently identified Duke as one of the frontrunners in Rippey’s recruitment. He also mentioned that while NC State is the school giving the Blue Devils the most competition, his sources still believe Scheyer and company will ultimately secure a commitment from the five-star recruit.

Nov 4, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer watches the play against the Texas Longhorns during the first half of the Dick Vitale’s Invitational game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

"Speaking with sources around the recruitment, Duke was always a school mentioned," Shaw wrote. "As the process continued, I was told of mutual intrigue on both sides. In my conversations, as we got further into the fall, the talk around Duke and NC State continued to build, with most of my sources talking about this as a two-team race."

He continued, "Both teams had individual momentum late in the process; however, over the last week or so, things with Duke have seemed to amplify, and as of pressing publish on this article, my sources like Jon Scheyer’s chances of landing the explosive point guard."

If the Blue Devils do end up landing Rippey, he would be a massive addition to their 2026 class. Rivals' industry rankings list him as the No. 10 overall player nationally, the No. 2 point guard, and the No. 1 prospect from New Jersey.

Time will tell if Shaw's prediction proves true. While it doesn't guarantee Duke will land Rippey, it should boost Blue Devils fans' confidence ahead of his commitment on Dec. 30.

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball recruiting news.

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