Duke Projected to Land Transfer Guard John Blackwell to Boost Roster

Story by

Nate Lunak

Mon, Apr 20, 2026 ·

2 min read

The Duke Blue Devils entered the NCAA Tournament with high expectations as the East Region's (and overall) No. 1 seed. They advanced to the Elite Eight, but were eliminated by the No. 2 UConn Huskies.

Despite not winning it all, the Blue Devils still had a solid season. They went 35-3 while being crowned the ACC regular-season and tournament champions. In the offseason, Duke continues to find success.

Coach Jon Scheyer and his staff made a big splash in the transfer portal by receiving a commitment from former Belmont Bruins forward Drew Scharnowski. For the moment, he is Duke's only addition, but the Blue Devils are looking for more.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon ScheyerAlex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Monday, On3's Joe Tipton revealed a projection for Duke to receive a commitment from former Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell.

"Jon Scheyer has predominantly recruited high school players, but has made it a priority this offseason to add older, experienced players to pair with the top freshmen," Tipton wrote. "I like where the Blue Devils stand with Blackwell."

Blackwell earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in his third season with the Badgers. The junior averaged 19.1 points (career-high), 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists (career-high), across 34 starts. He also shot 43% from the field and 38.9% from the 3-point line.

Originally a three-star recruit out of high school, he has exceeded expectations. On3's industry rankings list him as the No. 2 shooting guard and the No. 5 player in the transfer portal this offseason.

While Duke is trending, Tipton previously reported the Illinois Fighting Illini, Alabama Crimson Tide , Arizona Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals and UCLA Bruins are also in the mix.

If the Blue Devils land Blackwell, it would give their transfer class a major boost. It would also help replace their two transfer portal departures: Nik Khamenia (UConn) and Darren Harris (Indiana Hoosiers).

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.