Indiana is no longer in the mix for class of 2026 5-star guard Deron Rippey, Jr. according to multiple Thursday national reports.
Rippey had set an October official visit to IU and included the Hoosiers in his list of final schools. He also eliminated Kansas from the list of schools he’s considering.
With Rippey off the board, IU will focus its efforts in the 2026 guards Junior County, Tay Kinney, and Jordan Smith, Jr.
County is scheduled to visit IU this weekend. Stay tuned for a preview of that visit with more background on the Utah-based guard.
Kinney completed an official visit to Bloomington this past weekend, and the Hoosiers are battling the likes of Louisville, Kentucky and Kansas for the top-20 guard.
Smith, Jr. recently included IU in his final six schools, and the staff is working to get him on campus for an official visit.
Indiana already has a commitment from 2026 guard Prince-Alexander Moody.
Here Indiana’s upcoming class of 2026 official visits scheduled at this time:
- Junior County: Sept. 5-7
- Anthony Thompson: Sept. 12-14
- Ethan Taylor: Sept. 19-21
Wednesday marked the return of an NCAA authorized recruiting period, when authorized athletics department staff may make in-person, off campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.
According to national reports, Indiana’s staff made in-person day one visits with priority 2026 targets Ethan Taylor, Arafan Diane and Anthony Thompson on Wednesday.
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