Tracking as one of the highest profile recruits out of the area in recent memory, Class of 2026 Blair Academy (NJ) point guard Deron Rippey Jr. (Blair Academy, NJ ‘26) has now garnered an offer from NC State.

Rippey Jr., whose dazzling explosiveness and adeptness of feel for the game recently won over scouts at the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy, adds the Wolfpack to a stockpile of high majors. The new staff at NC State is now under Will Wade, who is known as a powerful recruiting presence.

Wade was hired this recent spring, supplanting Kevin Keatts as the program's newly minted head coach. While Wade has been ensnared in his fair share of controversy, including a spate of NCAA violations and impermissible payments, which ultimately led to his ouster at LSU, he worked his way back into the high major ranks. Wade's resurgence occurred after building up McNeese State and guiding the previously obscure program back-to-back NCAA tournament berths these past two seasons. He brings an experienced staff with a wealth of connections to the tri-state area.

Rippey Jr. has soared as a national recruit. A poised, cerebral point guard with shiftiness and a tactical, efficient scoring repertoire, the Brooklyn native has earned in the vicinity of 25+ Division-I offers. He adds NC State to a list which includes North Carolina, Texas, Auburn, Tennessee, Creighton, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Rutgers, St. John's, LSU, Providence, Wake Forest, Louisville, and a handful of others.

Rippey Jr. holds a 4.0 GPA and has an intriguing track record as a proven winner, having guided his Blair team to back-to-back State championships and won three MAPL League titles during his three years at Blair Academy. His game has always been a bit ahead of his time, with his passing arsenal and knack for picking his spots effectively earning credibility.

Rippey Jr. relished the leadership role this past season at Blair, engineering scoring onslaughts and creating for the weapons flanking him. During the State title game, Rippey Jr. stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 16 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, and three steals.

Capable of guarding on the ball and off the ball, Rippey Jr. has been the spirit of Blair's defense under legendary head coach Joe Mantegna. He brings college-ready physicality and positional versatility with his in-traffic rebounding.

Rippey Jr. visited Rutgers during the spring, and Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell and the staff have prioritized the top-ranked recruit in New Jersey since the early stages of his recruitment. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard, however, is wide open and likely to draw a handful of additional offers moving forward.