Tennessee Basketball has reportedly scheduled an official visit with four-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr., according to Dushawn London. The Vols will host Rippey on October 25-26, the last of eight official visits scheduled. 

London on Saturday reported that Rippey will visit Kentucky first, August 1-3, followed by Miami (Aug. 27-29), North Carolina (Aug. 31-Sept. 2), Alabama (Sept. 12-14), Texas (Sept. 19-21), Syracuse (Sept. 26-29) and Indiana (Oct. 17-19). 

Rippey is a four-star prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, coming in at No. 16 overall in the 2026 class. He’s the No. 4 point guard in the class and the No. 1 player in New Jersey, where the Brooklyn, N.Y., native, attends Blair Academy. 

He’s a five-star in the ESPN recruiting rankings, ranked No. 18 nationally, No. 5 at point guard and No. 1 in New Jersey. 

Point guard Deron Rippey Jr. ‘is a blur athletically … makes natural reads’

Rippey was Saturday’s MVP at the Adidas 3SSB event in South Carolina, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw.

“Perhaps no player has taken advantage of this week more than Deron Rippey,” Shaw wrote. “The 6-foot-1 point guard is a blur athletically, but it is his pace that gets him to his spots. 

“He makes natural reads with two feet in the paint, and he made shots today. Currently On3’s No. 3 point guard in the 2026 class, he has very boldly staked his claim for a bump up the list. We will see how July finishes up.”

Shaw reported that Tennessee was watching Rippey on Saturday, along with Alabama, Kentucky, Duke, Indiana, Louisville and North Carolina, among others.

Who the Vols were watching during live-evaluation weekend

Tennessee coaches also spent the weekend watching five-star shooting guard Caleb Holt, four-star small forward Bo Ogden, four-star power forward Latrell Almond, four-star small forward Chris Washington and four-star small forward Gage Mayfield. 

Holt was another one of Shaw’s standouts from Saturday’s live-evaluation play in South Carolina. 

“There is a winning quality that Caleb Holt brings each time he steps on the floor,” Shaw wrote. “Whether that is to make a hustle play, or score a pivotal bucket, or get a defensive stop, Holt seems to always be in the right place at the right time. 

“The 6-foot-5 shooting guard recently announced he would transfer to Fort Lauderdale (FL) Prolific Prep. He made shots today, along with finishing at the rim, and consistently making positive plays.”