Duke Makes Move on Four-Star Recruit After Losing Cooper Flagg.
Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils quietly added another name to their recruiting board this week.
Just days after Cooper Flagg’s announcement to enter his name in the 2025 NBA Draft, Duke reportedly visited with four-star forward Braydon Hawthorne.
Hawthorne, a 6-foot-8 small forward from Huntington Prep, reopened his recruitment in March after decommitting from West Virginia.
He ranks No. 106 nationally on 247Sports’ Composite and is the top player in the state for the 2025 class.
Following his decommitment, Hawthorne recently visited with Virginia Tech and Kentucky.
Now, Scheyer and the Blue Devils have reportedly taken a trip out to visit Hawthorne, per Travis Branham of 247Sports.
A long-armed wing with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Hawthorne blends perimeter shooting with rebounding and chase-down defense.
Duke’s interest, confirmed by Hawthorne’s father on X, arrives at a pivotal moment.
In addition to losing Flagg, the Blue Devils also saw former 2025 ACC Tournament MVP Kon Knueppel and Third-team All-ACC member Tyrese Proctor declare for the draft, creating multiple vacancies along the wing.
Duke’s freshmen class already includes high-profile talents Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer and Nikolas Khamenia, but Scheyer has signaled he isn’t done adding pieces for the 2025-26 roster.
The Blue Devils had a successful 2024-25 season, finishing with a 35-4 overall record, with a 19-1 mark in ACC play, and ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25.
Yet, they fell 70-67 to the Houston Cougars in the Final Four.
As a small forward who can handle the ball, hit three-pointers and guard bigger opponents, Hawthorne offers exactly the versatility Scheyer covets.
