Duke’s 2027 recruiting class picked up its first official signature on Wednesday, and it came from a name that had looked locked in for months.
Wisconsin Lutheran High School power forward Kager Knueppel, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound five-star, became the first announced signee from the Blue Devils’ three-man 2027 haul on the opening day of the early signing period. Knueppel had already been the first 2027 prospect to commit to Jon Scheyer’s program back in late June, and now that pledge is on paper.
Wisconsin Lutheran’s official social media account announced the move with this post:
Officially signed! 🖊️Congratulations to Kager Knueppel, who inked his National Letter of Intent today to play ball at Duke next season! pic.twitter.com/NaLpdnMi73
Knueppel’s profile has only risen since his commitment. When he chose Duke in early summer, he had just climbed nearly 30 spots to No. 52 overall in the 247Sports 2027 Composite. Since then, he has surged another 36 places to No. 16 overall, where he now ranks No. 2 among small forwards and No. 1 in Wisconsin.
247Sports’ Adam Finkelstein described him in July as “a skilled perimeter forward and one of the best shooters in the country,” pointing to the younger brother of 2024-25 Duke guard and second-year Charlotte Hornets standout Kon Knueppel. Finkelstein added: “He connected on 47% of his threes, on nearly 6 attempts per game, in the EYBL season. His release is naturally compact, yet fluid, with a soft touch and the type of deep range that doesn’t cause his mechanics to change as he steps farther beyond the arc...
The bottom line is that his overlap of size and shooting gives him a translatable niche, but his immediate impact will likely be tied to the gains he’s able to make in his overall strength.”
Knueppel is one piece of a class that also includes Hillgrove High School (Ga.) five-star small forward Asa Montgomery and heralded Australian point guard Luke Paul. Montgomery checks in at No. 8 overall in the 247Sports 2027 Composite, while Paul is regarded as the No. 1 international talent in the 2027 cycle.
The early signing period runs through next Wednesday, and Duke’s 2027 group currently sits at No. 3 nationally in 247Sports’ team rankings. It slipped one spot Wednesday after UConn moved into the No. 2 position with a commitment from Maple Grove High School (Minn.) four-star center Jack Thelen.
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