Xavier Musketeers head coach Sean Miller during the first half against the Georgetown Hoyas at Cintas Center. Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns in Contention for Elite Class of 2026 Five-Star Guard

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Ylver Deleon-Rios | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The first season for new Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller is just a few months away, with the Longhorns opening up their season against one of the top programs in the country, taking on the Duke Blue Devils on Nov. 4 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

While much of the attention is set on the season opener and for good reason, the Longhorns have received a positive update on one of the top prospects that they are currently heavily recruiting for their 2026 recruiting class.

As Rivals' Joe Tipton recently wrote that five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. has made some changes to his scheduled official visits, removing the Kansas Jayhawks and Indiana Hoosiers out of contention for the elite backcourt prospect. Which will leave the Longhorns battling against Alabama, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Syracuse, and Tennessee.

Scouting Report on Deron Rippey Jr.

Sam Greene / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Longhorns survived the round of cuts the five-star made to his list, trimming his top 12 schools to 10. Texas currently has an official visit set for the middle of September with Rippey on Sep. 19. The prospect will be coming off a visit with another SEC team the week before visiting, Alabama, on Sep. 13, and will head back close to home, with a visit to Syracuse on Sep. 26.

The Blairstown (N.J.) native is considered one of the blue-chip prospects in the 2026 class, making him one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. Rippey ranks as the No. 1 point guard and top prospect out of New Jersey in the 2026 cycle, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings. ,The guard prospect also ranks highly among his peers in the country, listed as the No. 11-ranked player in the country.

247Sports' Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein gave a glowing review about the five-star prospect, highlighting his athleticism and strength on the defensive side of the floor; however, he did highlight Rippey's possible challenge at the next level with the lack of size.

"Rippey is an explosively athletic lead guard who can set the tone on the defensive end of the floor." Finkelstein wrote. "He pressures the ball, picks up the length of the floor, gets over ball-screens, and is ideal at the point of attack. While there could be times down the road where his lack of size and length could be targeted on that end, that’s strictly theoretical right now."

For now, Texas will be focused on the 2025 season; however, the recruitment of Rippey will be a close one to watch as the Longhorns could make a closer run at a commitment from the elite prospect.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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