Five-Star Guard Deron Rippey Jr. Lists Miami In His Final Five Schools

One of the top guards in the country now has Miami in his top five schools, as he narrows down his list of top schools around the country.

Nov 3, 2025; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Jai Lucas looks on after the game against the Jacksonville Dolphins at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Jai Lucas era is off to a solid start, and now, recruits get to see what the young star coach is up to and have started to turn their heads to South Florida.

One of the top guards in the country now has Miami in his top five schools, as he narrows down his list of top schools around the country.

Five-star guard Deron Rippey Jr. has listed Miami, Duke, Texas, NC State, and Tennessee in in final schools according to Rivals Joe Tipton.

NEWS: 5⭐️ Deron Rippey Jr. is down to five schools, he tells @Rivals:

Tennessee, NC State, Duke, Miami, & Texas

The 6-2 point guard is the No. 5 overall recruit in the 2026 class, per Rivals. https://t.co/wG6zkVFT1W pic.twitter.com/Weot2IVDgh

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) November 17, 2025

Lucas has already landed one five-star in the 2026 class. Small forward Caleb Gaskins committed to the Canes on Oct. 30, and Lucas looks to add another to the class. So far, he has only one recruit in his 2026 class, but he still has a top-10 class with the one recruit (No. 8 per Rivals). With another talented player added, he could get into the top five with his first serious recruiting class as the Hurricanes' head coach.

Lucas' message on recruiting will stay the same. He has to be patient, knowing that he has to build something consistent for players to want to come to Coral Gables. This first team is solid, as are the challenges that lie ahead of them in the future.

Jai Lucas Remains Patient on His Recruiting as a Message Will Come During the Season

"We're going to develop you," Lucas said. "That's the biggest thing and that's how my staff is built. I think we'll show that I think we'll show that with what we get on the court and also the development throughout the season. I think that's one of the most important things that you can get now in this day and age in college is great development, but also knowing that you have great relationships from a head coaching perspective.

"You're going to have somebody who tells you the truth, hold you accountable and holds you to a high standard, but also understands your process and what you're going to do and understanding it's not one size fits all. It's not cookie cutter. Each person needs something different. I can't coach this guy the same way I coach this person because they're two different people."

Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.

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