One of the best ball-handlers in the 2026 college basketball recruiting class is Deron Rippey Jr., a 6’2 guard from the state of New Jersey. He’s one of the better two-way players in the class, known for being a talented defender who also can score at a high level.

The latest recruiting updates with Rippey have him in the 5-star range. As a result, he’s gotten plenty of interest from top teams. Per Travis Branham of 247sports, there are three teams that are firmly in the mix, setting up some official visits with the five-star target.

Here’s a closer look at each situation and how Rippey would fit with each of them.

Alabama is without its star guard Mark Sears but brought back Labaron Philon, a star freshman who is an early projected 2026 draft pick. Assuming that works out, then the team would have a big need for an impact ball-handler, unless either Aden Holloway or Miami transfer Jalil Bethea breaks out into capable lead guards. The offensive system Coach Nate Oats has will be very appealing to someone like Rippey.

The Tar Heels had one of the better group of guards last season, including Elliott Cadeau. However, he opted to transfer out, while RJ Davis graduated. The team has Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans but it’s unknown how good he’ll be at the ACC level. Plus, with Seth Trimble moving on after next year, there will be a need for someone like Rippey to be a face of the 2026 class. Of course, that will depend on the status of HC Hubert Davis, who could still be on the hot seat even after squeaking into the NCAA Tournament.

New HC Sean Miller is set to have senior guard Jordan Pope run the offense next season but they’ll need a new guard to take over. This is an option where Rippey could be the lead guard for the SEC team and Miller has a good history of developing lead offensive options. We’ll see how he fits in the SEC but it’’s a nice spot for a player looking to maximize their role and maybe not have to share the ball-handling duties.