Top-20 prospect Deron Rippey Jr. has been drawing a lot of attention lately as his recruitment starts to heat up.
Considered one of the, if not the, top point guard in the Class of 2026, Rippey Jr. has plenty of interest from top-tier Division I programs. As he's set to begin his senior season of high school in the fall, he's also starting to focus in on schools that interest him, as he's set up a trio of official visits that will begin in late August.
The first stop on Rippey Jr.'s tour will be to North Carolina on August 31.
Deron Rippey Jr. has set up three official visits. North Carolina on August 31,
— David Sisk (@CoachDavidSisk) June 26, 2025
Alabama-September 12, and Texas on September 19. @HeelIllustrated
Along with visiting the UNC basketball program, Rippey Jr. will take a trip to Alabama on September 12 and will proceed to visit Texas a week after.
Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program extended an offer to the 6-foot-2 point guard from Blairstown, New Jersey on December 30, 2024. While the Tar Heels had their eye on him for quite some time, his insane performance at the Jordan Holiday Classic (with UNC basketball representation in the building) was enough to convince the team's coaching staff that this kid is special.
North Carolina isn't the only program that has taken notice of Rippey Jr.'s game. In fact, the rising senior has moved up four spots in 247Sports Composite's Class of 2026 rankings since the Tar Heels offer became official, a jump that placed him among the top-20 prospects in his graduating class.
Now, Rippey Jr. ranks as the No. 17 overall player in the class and continues to hold down the title of the best prospect that the state of New Jersey has to offer.
This is good news for the UNC basketball program, as this is a guy that they seem to be very high on. The Tar Heels would love to bring in at least one true point guard, with Rippey Jr. being that guy that seems like the perfect fit to run the UNC basketball program's offensive attack next season and potentially beyond.