Duke’s 2027 recruiting class already has a headliner, and Kager Knueppel just gave the Blue Devils another reason to feel good about where things are headed.
The four-star forward, who committed to Duke last month, closed out the AAU cycle with a strong finish at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam. Knueppel helped Team Herro reach the 17U semifinals before the run ended with an 84-76 loss to Florida Rebels.
In that game, he was electric from deep, scoring 24 points entirely on three-pointers while going 8-for-13 from beyond the arc. He also chipped in five rebounds, five blocks and a steal.
That kind of performance is the sort that keeps a recruit moving up, and Knueppel has already been climbing. He’s now inside the top 30 of the recruiting rankings and is approaching five-star status later this fall.
At 6-foot-10 and 225 pounds, the Wisconsin Lutheran small forward brings a valuable skill set for a player his size: shot-making. That part of his game stands out, especially with the way he can stretch the floor from three. His brother, former Duke star Kon Knueppel, had that same kind of touch, and Duke is hoping Kager brings it to Durham as well.
Right now, Knueppel is ranked No. 21 nationally, the No. 2 small forward and the No. 2 player in Wisconsin in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. Another update is expected this fall, and if he keeps producing like this, there’s a real chance he moves even higher.
Duke still has work to do on the 2027 board, including a push for several top five-star targets. The expectation is that this class may end up smaller than some of the others, but with Knueppel already in the fold, the Blue Devils have a strong starting point.
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