Over the last few decades, most Duke recruiting victories have come in the form of four- and five-star basketball recruits. This time around, the Blue Devils' football program just picked up a blue-chip recruit, virtually poaching him out from under a pair of in-state rivals.
Three-star safety Lyrik Pettis committed to the Duke Blue Devils and head coach Manny Diaz, stunning most recruiting experts, who had expected him to land with the NC State Wolfpack.
According to On3, the Wolfpack had more than a 41 percent chance to earn Pettis' commitment, followed by none other than the North Carolina Tar Heels with a 27.6 percent chance. Yet, the Blue Devils, who On3 gave just 23.7 percent odds, landed the young safety.
"I was comfortable with Duke," Pettis said when he committed. "It’s kind of a hard feeling to explain, but it felt right."
🏠🏠🏠@coachRickLyster @Coach_MannyDiaz @DukeFOOTBALL @omarporter1 @MarquietP pic.twitter.com/6AEfmV1BG3
— lyrik pettis (@PettisLyrik) July 1, 2025
Pettis is from Shelby, NC, under three hours away from Durham, and committed to the Blue Devils over 13 other Division I programs from which he received offers. With the commitment, Diaz's class of 2026 prospects grew to 14 total commitments.
Duke Blue Devils 2026 football recruiting class
- Sean Stover, four-star interior offensive lineman
- Brody Keefe, three-star wide receiver
- CJ Givers, three-star running back
- Terry Walker III, three-star quarterback
- Ayden Cain, three-star defensive lineman
- Colsen Gatten, three-star linebacker
- Lyrik Pettis, three-star safety
- Dane Bathurst, three-star EDGE
- Chadwicke Cannon, three-star defensive lineman
- KD Cotton, three-star safety
- Jayvian Tanelus, three-star running back
- Obinna Umeh, three-star EDGE
- Tyson Sanford, tree-star cornerback
- Jayden Boyd, unrated cornerback
With one four-star prospect and a resounding 12 three-star prospects, things continue to look up for the Blue Devils' football program.
Last season, Diaz led Duke to a 9-4 overall record, including an appearance in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. This year, the Blue Devils will kick off their 2025 campaign with a game on Thursday, Aug. 28, against the Elon Phoenix.