With Duke football's 2025 season kickoff just a week away, the Blue Devil faithful are itching for the team to take the field for the first time against Elon on August 28th. Manny Diaz and his crew are looking to build on a highly successful 2024 season where the program won at least nine games for just the fourth time in program history. With a mix of key veteran returners, transfer portal additions, and talented rookies, the Blue Devils are set to compete atop the ACC.
The defense is led by senior cornerback Chandler Rivers, who's regarded as one of the top returning secondary pieces in all of college football. And now, these recent rankings by ESPN are the exact motivation Rivers needs to become the best corner in the nation in 2025.
ESPN disrespects Chandler Rivers on Top 100 players list
ESPN released its top 100 players list for the 2025 college football season, and the disrespect towards Rivers is exactly what the senior needed just before the campaign kicks off. ESPN ranked Rivers as the No. 32 overall player in the nation and No. 3 corner on the list. The Beaumont, TX native was slotted behind Notre Dame's Leonard Moore (No. 13 overall player) and Tennessee's Jermod McCoy (No. 31 overall player). Although, Rivers is ranked here as the top corner out of the ACC, and many rankings have had the Duke corner behind Clemson's Avieon Terrell in the past. Terrell is listed as the No. 39 overall player.
Even though Rivers is still widely viewed as one of the best corners in college football this season, no one has deemed him the best there is. Getting put behind other corners on the list is the perfect motivation for the senior, as we are just a week away from the 2025 campaign.
Rivers was recognized as a Preseason Second Team All-American and was selected to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, an award given annually to the best defensive player in college football. Earlier in the year, ESPN ranked Rivers as the seventh-best returning cornerback in the nation, so it looks like the analysts have gotten more familiar with his game as time has gone on with Rivers' rise up the rankings.