Manny Diaz and Duke land a commitment from a 3-star RB with an impressive offer list

Manny Diaz has Duke building some real momentum with the 2027 recruiting class.

Already this spring, the Blue Devils have landed commitments from LBs Tripp Keller and Jack Baker, along with QB Aidan McPherson.

On Thursday, Duke added their fourth commitment of the spring, and fifth overall for the 2027 class, with 3-star RB Mikel Stephen out of Madison, Mississippi:

Stephen, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound track athlete, is coming off an impressive junior season for his high school that got him on the radar of many top programs. He rushed for 875 yards and 11 touchdowns on 5.4 yards per carry.

Mikel Stephen represents a big recruiting win for Manny Diaz and Duke

Stephen's ranking might not stand out at No. 985 overall and the No. 73 RB in the 247 composite, but he's a guy who has an impressive list of offers to his name.

According to his 247 profile, Stephen held offers from the likes of Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame, among others.

While a lot of the heavy hitters offered Stephen back in 2024 and weren't being all that aggressive in their pursuit of him, he had picked up offers since November from Notre Dame, Kansas State, and Missouri.

His ranking might not reflect it, but Stephen is a coveted prospect who can be a real difference-maker quickly in the backfield for the Blue Devils.

Diaz has had success with running backs who have flown under the radar.

Blue Devils star RB Nate Sheppard was an instant star as a true freshman, rushing for 1132 yards and 11 touchdowns on an impressive 5.7 yards per carry mark last season. Sheppard will be the focal point of the offense in 2026, especially with Darian Mensah's decision to enter the Transfer Portal and head to Miami.

Sheppard was a 3-star RB coming out of high school, too, and quickly outperformed his recruiting ranking.

Perhaps Stephen will find similar success in Durham.

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