Manny Diaz just added the 11th player to his 2026 class of recruits, earning a commitment from three-star cornerback Tyson Sanford.
Sanford, a prospect from Georgia, chose Diaz and the Duke Blue Devils over other power conference programs like the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Michigan State Spartans. Overall, he held 21 Division I offers when he committed to Duke.
His commitment came as somewhat of a surprise for those who followed his recruiting process, many analysts projecting him to land with the Spartans. On3 even gave Michigan State a 47.3 percent chance to earn his commitment.
Beyond blessed to announce my commitment to Duke University! I want to thank God for guiding my steps, my family for their endless love and support, my coaches for believing in me, and my friends who’ve been by my side through it all.@247recruiting @DukeFOOTBALL @247Sports pic.twitter.com/cu8l2UIeZf
— Tyson (@Tyson_J_Sanford) June 21, 2025
However, Sanford joined a recruiting class that is slowly but surely rising in the national rankings as Diaz looks to repeat his top-50 success from the class of 2025.
Currently, the Blue Devils have the No. 54 class in the country (dropping from last year's class, which finished at No. 34 nationally). Out of the 11 commitments, one is a four-star prospect and nine are three-star prospects, including Sanford.
Duke Blue Devils 2026 recruiting class
- Sean Stover, four-star interior offensive lineman
- Brody Keefe, three-star wide receiver
- Ayden Cain, three-star defensive lineman
- Terry Walker III, three-star quarterback
- CJ Givers, three-star running back
- Colsen Gatten, three-star linebacker
- Dane Bathurst, three-star EDGE
- Chadwicke Cannon, three-star defensive lineman
- Jayvian Tanelus, three-star running back
- Tyson Sanford, three-star cornerback
- Jayden Boyd, unrated cornerback
Stover is the singular four-star prospect to commit to the Blue Devils from the class of 2026, but Diaz has earned an impressive slate of three-star commitments so far this offseason. Sanford is just the latest three-star player to commit to the Blue Devils.
According to 247Sports, Sanford is the No. 85 safety in the class and is currently ranked as the No. 107 overall athlete out of the state of Georgia. He also competes in track and field, holding personal bests of 10.82 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.18 seconds in the 200-meter dash.