The Duke football program is just about finished with one of its most successful seasons of the past 40 years, as Manny Diaz led his group to an 8-5 record and an ACC Championship victory for the first time since 1989. To close out the campaign, Duke will face Arizona State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX, on December 31st. With the offseason rolling around, a few Blue Devils have already publicly announced their intentions to enter the Transfer Portal, although Duke hasn't seen any stars or true impact pieces from this past season elect to leave.
However, Duke also has a few prospects for the 2026 NBA Draft, and two potential draft picks for the Blue Devils have officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Both headed into the 2025 season as potential early-round guys, and it's more likely than not that Duke will have at least two draft choices this year after having none in the 2025 draft.
Two star Duke football players officially declare for 2026 NFL Draft
OT Brian Parker II
Redshirt junior offensive tackle Brian Parker II will forgo his final year of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Parker entered the 2025 campaign as a huge piece that the Blue Devils got back, and he's been rated as one of the top OTs in the nation across the past few seasons. The 6'5" Cincinnati native earned Second Team All-ACC honors in 2024 and entered his redshirt junior year as potentially the best offensive tackle in the entire ACC. In 2025, Parker was named an AP Third Team All-American and was selected to Second Team All-ACC. Parker is ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.'s No. 10 tackle heading into the draft.
CB Chandler Rivers
Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers came into his senior year in Durham with legitimate first-round hype to his name. Although that didn't exactly come into fruition, he still had a very productive 2025 and will be a mid-round selection in the 2026 draft. In four seasons with the Blue Devils, Rivers totaled 223 tackles, 29 pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and seven interceptions. The Beaumont, TX native was a Second Team All-ACC honoree in 2025 and a Preseason All-American Second Team selection.