Duke's class of 2026 commits is... far from ideal. With just 16 prospects pledging their allegiance to the Blue Devils (for now), head coach Manny Diaz has a lot of work to do before the recruiting class is deemed good enough to compete against top teams in the ACC, much less the rest of the country.
However, in the month of June, Diaz began to do just that, bringing in nine blue-chip commitments to boost his class and keep his head above water in the recruiting cycle. Here is a ranking of those nine prospects and just how they'll fit into Duke's roster:
All star ratings are according to On3 & Rivals
While Gavin Strange is a three-star prospect, he plays kicker. Yes, it is a vital role on the team, that is undeniable, but there are more blue-chip prospects for the position than there are for roles such as quarterback or EDGE rusher, and therefore, Strange finds himself last on this list.
One of three players to commit to Duke in June, who didn't receive a star rating from On3 and Rivals, was cornerback Jayden Boyd, who was given a three-star rating by 247Sports.
A large reason for his lack of a three-star rating is the fact that he is, quite simply, very undersized. At just 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, Boyd would be one of the shorter players in the secondary, making it extremely difficult to guard wideouts.
Similarly to Boyd, cornerback Tyson Sanford did not receive a star rating from On3 or Rivals but did earn the three-star status from 247Sports. Also, similarly to Boyd, a big reason he hasn't been regarded as a blue-chip prospect on the national level is his lack of size.
At 5-foot-11 and 182 pounds, he is bigger than Boyd, but he doesn't have as much speed or agility as the smaller defensive back possesses.
Obinna Umeh could make the argument that he was drastically underrated by On3 and Rivals, failing to earn a rating from the (now combined) recruiting sites. Meanwhile, 247Sports deemed him worthy of a three-star rating, which he could very easily prove he deserved once he steps onto campus in Durham.
One of the first running backs to commit to Duke from the class of 2026 was three-star RB Jayvian Tanelus, who chose the Blue Devils over a handful of his home state teams like FIU and USF, as well as power conference programs like Ole Miss and Iowa.
The Duke defensive secondary gained a potential star when safety KD Cotton committed to the Blue Devils. While he is just 5-foot-10, his speed and vertical allow him to be a menace for any offense's downfield target, as well as adept at attacking the offensive line to get to the quarterback.
As of now, Colsen Gatten is one of the defensive highlights for the Blue Devils' upcoming recruiting class. Gatten is shockingly quick for his 207-pound frame and should be able to make an immediate impact on Duke's defensive unit.
In the class of 2026 prospect, Gatten was regarded as the No. 60 linebacker in the country and was a big-time pickup for Diaz and his staff.
CJ Givers was one of the many running backs to commit to Duke last month, but he was the highest graded backfield player to join the Blue Devils' next class.
Givers is still slightly undersized at just 190 pounds, but with access to a collegiate weight room and training regimen, the young prospect should easily be able to pack on the necessary weight as soon as he steps onto campus.
So far, Brody Keefe is one of the biggest names headlining Duke's class of 2026 commits. As the highest-graded recruit to commit to the Blue Devils in June, it was impossible to deny him the No. 1 spot on this list.
At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, he is already built like a collegiate slot receiver and should be able to quickly turn into a viable downfield target for any Duke quarterback.