Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils subtly expanded their recruiting list this week.
Mere days after Cooper Flagg declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, reports indicate Duke paid a visit to four-star forward Braydon Hawthorne.
Hawthorne, a 6-foot-8 small forward out of Huntington Prep, reopened his recruitment in March following his decommitment from West Virginia.
He’s currently ranked No. 106 nationally in the 247Sports Composite and holds the top spot in his state for the 2025 class.
After backing out of his commitment, Hawthorne recently made visits to both Virginia Tech and Kentucky.
According to Travis Branham of 247Sports, Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils have now also traveled to meet with him.
Standing out with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Hawthorne is a versatile wing who combines outside shooting with strong rebounding and aggressive chase-down defense.
His father confirmed Duke’s interest on X, noting it comes at a crucial time in the recruiting process.
Along with Flagg’s departure, the Blue Devils also lost 2025 ACC Tournament MVP Kon Knueppel and Third-team All-ACC standout Tyrese Proctor to the draft, leaving several openings on the wing.
While Duke’s incoming freshman class features top prospects Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer, and Nikolas Khamenia, Jon Scheyer has made it clear he plans to continue building the 2025-26 roster.
However, their run ended with a narrow 70-67 loss to the Houston Cougars in the Final Four.
Hawthorne, a small forward capable of ball-handling, knocking down threes, and defending larger players, brings the kind of versatility Scheyer values highly.
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