Intriguing 3-star running back commits to Duke football program

New Duke head coach Manny Diaz is a defensive guru. Thus, it is no surprise that he's gone heavy on that side of the ball so far as he's built his 2025 recruiting class.

However, this week, he did add an intriguing running back to his recruiting haul. 3-star Georgia native Javin Gordon has pledged to play for the Blue Devils according to a post on social media.

Rated by 247Sports.com as a 3-star prospect, he is just the third offensive player in Duke's recruiting class. He's joined by 3-star QB Dan Mahan and 3-star offensive tackle Nathan Kutufaris.

Gordon is the No. 91 running back in the class of 2025. He's also listed as the No. 111 player in Georgia. In addition to Duke, Gordon holds offers from the likes of Cincinnati, Indiana, Northwestern, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and others.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pounder rushed for 1,017 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore and 1,635 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior in 2023. In his high school career, he has over 3,500 yards from scrimmage and 41 total touchdowns.

Duke currently has five running backs on the roster. Of that group, all but one are underclassmen.

The lone senior RB on the team is starting RB, Jaquez Moore. He has racked up more than 1,100 yards in his three years with the Blue Devils.

This year, Moore will exhaust his eligibility making the RB spot one that Diaz will have to sort through in 2025. Perhaps Gordon can earn some immediate playing time as a freshman given the unproven nature of the position behind Moore. Of course, running back could also be a place where Diaz goes shopping in the transfer portal.

Currently, Duke's recruiting class is ranked No. 31 in the nation according to 247Sports.com. That's good for eighth in the ACC.

However, Diaz still has plenty of work to do, especially on offense. Adding a player of Gordon's caliber is a nice move but Diaz must diversify his recruiting class and continue to add more playmakers to his haul.