Overview
- Kager Knueppel committed to Duke, which he announced Monday night on social media, becoming the first player to pledge to Jon Scheyer's 2027 class.
- The four-star, 6-foot-10 forward rose up recruiting boards after a spring growth spurt and an EYBL breakout with Team Herro where he averaged about 16.5 points and shot just over 50% from three.
- Duke beat out offers from high-major programs including Purdue, Michigan and Wisconsin to land Knueppel, a recruit various services place inside the top 50 nationally.
- The family link to older brother Kon Knueppel — a former Duke freshman who was the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and enjoyed a strong rookie season — was central to evaluations of fit and development opportunity.
- Coaches and scouts project Kager as a stretch-four with room to add strength, so his arrival could give Duke a long-range scorer up front and may shape how the program develops similar NBA-oriented wings in coming years.