ESPN released its Preseason All-America First and Second Teams, and Duke football rising senior cornerback Chandler Rivers was named a Preseason Second Team All-American. Tennessee's Jermod McCoy received Preseason First Team All-America honors over the Blue Devil corner.
Rivers also made Athlon Sports' and Phil Steele's Preseason All-America Second Teams.
Another one for @_ChandlerRivers 😈🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/GBvNkop7E1
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) August 13, 2025
Chandler Rivers ready to dominate in senior season with Duke football
The star cornerback is heading into his senior season with the Blue Devils as one of the best returning secondary pieces in the nation. In addition to earning several All-American accolades, Rivers received the highest grade of any returning cornerback in the country (90.7) per Pro Football Focus, and was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List, an award annually given to the best defensive player in college football.
ESPN also ranked Rivers as the seventh-best defensive back in the nation heading into 2025, and the second-best out of the ACC, only behind Clemson's Avieon Terrell.
Coming off a 2024 season where Rivers led Duke in pass deflections (8) and tied the team lead in fumble recoveries (2), the 5'10 corner is looking to lead a Blue Devils' defensive unit that was one of the best in the entire country last season. In 2024, Duke ranked second in the nation in tackles for loss (116), fourth in the nation in sacks (43), and 26th nationally in third-down conversion percentage (33.8).
Some 2026 NFL Mock Drafts even have Rivers slotted near the top ten overall selections.
Aside from Rivers, head coach Manny Diaz and his staff are also returning several key guys from last season's unit as Duke looks to again lead with its defense in 2025.
However, despite the plethora of key returners and a revamped offense led by new Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah, Duke hasn't been getting much hype through the preseason as a true contender in the ACC or on a national scale.
Nonetheless, at ACC Kickoff in July, Mensah credited the Blue Devils' defense and expressed his happiness to be on the same team as the elite unit. The former Tulane QB also stated how Duke is ready to "shock some people" in 2025 after being overlooked throughout the summer.