Duke basketball fans can finally take a sigh of relief as the program's 2025-26 roster is finalized for the most part. Although the Blue Devils lost a coveted transfer, Jon Scheyer is bringing in a plethora of talent, as Duke boasts the No. 1 overall 2025 recruiting class per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
The Duke football team also has a massive non-conference game early on in the 2025 season, which could decide the fate of the entire campaign with a win or a loss.
Here's your latest round-up of Duke Blue Devils news.
Cedric Coward officially headed to NBA
Washington State transfer guard Cedric Coward has decided to forgo his final year of college eligibility and remain in the 2025 NBA Draft instead of playing for Duke next season. Coward, the #14 overall transfer and #5 shooting guard per the On3 Transfer Portal Industry Rankings, was a massive veteran get for Scheyer, as the senior ultimately committed to the Blue Devils over Alabama. Coward said after his commitment to Duke that his main focus was on this summer's draft, but there was hope that the former Division III product would return to college basketball as he wasn't viewed as a lock first-round guy. However, after elite NBA Combine performances, Coward's stock skyrocketed, and it became much more likely that he'd remain in the draft. This is likely what led Scheyer on the hot pursuit of Italian guard Dame Sarr, who Duke practically swiped from Kansas out of nowhere. Now, it's official that Coward is headed to the NBA. He's slotted as the 30th overall pick to the Los Angeles Clippers at ESPN's most recent 2025 NBA mock draft.
Football non-con game ranked as one of best by expert
The Duke football program will host the Illinois Fighting Illini in the second week of the 2025 season, and although it's early, it might be the Blue Devils' most important matchup of the entire campaign. On3's Pete Nakos slotted the contest between Duke and Illinois as the 10th-best non-conference game in all of college football next season. The Blue Devils are a surging squad coming off of an incredibly successful first year under Manny Diaz, winning nine games in a season for just the third time since joining the ACC in 1953. Duke added one of the top transfer quarterbacks this offseason in Darian Mensah and is bringing back crucial pieces from one of the best defenses in college football last season in Chandler Rivers and Terry Moore. Illinois sits at No. 7 in On3's "Way-Too-Early" top 25 rankings next season, giving the Blue Devils a massive chance for a statement win on the resume early. However, if the Blue Devils lose at home to the Fighting Illini, that might end any College Football Playoff hope Duke has, or at least make it extremely difficult for the program to make it after leaving a potentially crucial win on the board.
ACC releases basketball schedule
Blue Devil basketball now knows its Atlantic Coast Conference opponents for next season, and there are some fun matchups on the list. At home next season, Duke will face SMU, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Virginia, Boston College, and Syracuse. On the road, it will go up against California, Stanford, Pittsburgh, Florida State, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame. Duke will face North Carolina and Louisville both at home and on the road. Interestingly, Scheyer will not have a chance to face Jai Lucas, his former assistant, who left the Duke program late in the 2024-25 season to take over as head coach at Miami. Regardless, there are some treats on Duke's in-conference schedule. Obviously, the two UNC games are always at the top. Facing a potentially pesky Syracuse team at home could give the Blue Devils an issue, and playing at NC State in year one under Will Wade will certainly be an incredible environment, to name a few of the potential classics.