Duke Football 2026 Top 30: No. 21 Is One To Watch

This transfer secondary addition could move up the depth chart quickly.

Sep 27, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz on the sidelines in the second quarter game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Duke football head coach Manny Diaz and his staff are looking to rebuild a defensive unit that was fairly underwhelming in 2025.

The Blue Devils were likely the best all-around defense in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024, and brought back a lot of key returners from that squad, such as Chandler Rivers, Wesley Williams, and Vincent Anthony Jr.

In 2024, Duke won with its defense. In 2025, it was the polar opposite. The Blue Devils went from being the 12th-highest scoring offense in the ACC in 2024 (26.3 points per game) to leading the league in scoring in 2025 (34.6 points per game).

Manny Diaz, head football coach at Duke, shouts during the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Arizona State at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As we move closer to training camp and the beginning of the 2026 campaign, it is probably a safe bet to assume that the Blue Devils will lead with defense once again. Quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate, arguably the best players at their respective positions in the ACC last season, are both gone.

With that came a lot of new faces on the offensive side of the ball. Walker Eget from San Jose State is projected to be the program's starting quarterback this coming season. Javen Nicholas (Charlotte) and Jared Richardson (Penn) are two intriguing transfer portal receiver additions Diaz and Co. made this offseason, but it is always difficult to gauge how a player will translate to the Power Conference level right away.

Aug 29, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte 49ers wide receiver Javen Nicholas (5) runs for yards after catch defended by Appalachian State Mountaineers defensive back Zyeir Gamble (5) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As a result, Diaz, a defensive-minded coach, will probably have to win through his defense for the second time in three years. Duke won nine games in 2024. In that season, it ranked 12th in the ACC in scoring, but led the conference in sacks (43), forced fumbles (19), and interceptions (14), while finishing seventh in average opponent points scored per game (24.5).

It worked for the Blue Devils in 2024. The issue is, it's very unclear whether they have the pieces to replicate that production. Rivers, Williams, and Anthony all headed to the NFL, and former star Duke safety Terry Moore transferred to Ohio State.

Ohio State Buckeyes safety Terry Moore (11) lines up during the first day of spring workouts for the 2026 football season at Woody Hayes Athletic Complex in Columbus on March 10, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Diaz brought in a few interesting transfers in the secondary spots, and it is crucial that at least some of these new guys find a rhythm quickly for Duke to limit opponents' scoring and keep itself in games, especially against projected top-tier offenses like Miami.

Cornerback depth could turn into a big strength for the Blue Devils in 2026 if some of these new additions find their footing quickly. As we continue our Duke football 2026 top 30 players countdown, we highlight one of those secondary depth pieces who could make some noise in Durham this fall.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on after the game against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Duke Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 21 Kyon Loud

Kyon Loud is entering his redshirt sophomore season with the Blue Devils after spending the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Montana.

Coming out of Junipero Serra High School (CA), Loud was a 3-star prospect, rated as the No. 2,850 overall player, No. 270 ATH, and No. 289 player out of the state of California, according to the 247Sports 2024 Composite Rankings. He held offers from UC Davis, Idaho, Portland State, and Montana.

It didn't take long (no pun intended) for Long to become an extremely productive piece of the Grizzlies' secondary. As a rookie in 2024, the 6'2" cornerback appeared in 13 of Montana's 14 games, tallying 18 total tackles and two pass breakups. He helped Montana to the FCS Playoffs, where it fell to South Dakota State in the second round.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Eli Wood (82) scores a touchdown to tie the score near the end of the 4th quarter as Duke Blue Devils cornerback Landan Callahan (21) defends during the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Long entered 2026 with high hopes as a full-time starter, but injuries derailed a once-promising season for the California native. In Montana's fourth game of the season against Idaho, Loud sustained a shoulder injury that kept him out for the rest of the regular season.

He finished the year with 25 total tackles and four pass deflections. Loud then hit the transfer portal as a promising recruit after some strong production with the Grizzlies.

Loud will enter his first season at Duke not really recognized as a big-time addition, but I definitely think there is room for the redshirt sophomore to climb up the depth chart and make some noise in Durham.

Oct 26, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils cornerback Kimari Robinson (5) and defensive tackle Aaron Hall (99) celebrate during the second half of the game against Southern Methodist Mustangs at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

He will likely begin the season as a reserve corner. The projected starters at the position seem to be Landan Callahan and Kimari Robinson, two veterans of the Duke program. But there is potential for Loud to make his presence felt as training camp and the regular season begin to roll around.

Diaz and Co. are bringing in a few other secondary pieces via the portal in Dylan Flowers (Western Kentucky), Che Ojarikre (Stanford), Patrick Smith-Young (North Texas), and Evan Smith (Northwestern). However, Loud's production is up there with many of the new additions, especially given that he quickly turned into a breakout talent at Montana after not receiving a single Power Conference offer out of high school.

Nov 22, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Destyn Hill (2) runs against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers defensive back Dylan Flowers (10) during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Blue Devils will need to be reliable and consistent on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in the secondary. The Blue Devils' front seven also has some question marks, but it is probably a more sure thing than the secondary right now. Still, Diaz and Co. have the pieces to deliver a top-half coverage team in the ACC. However, a lot of things have to go right for that to come into fruition.

Diaz has been uber-successful since he took over in Durham. He delivered a nine-win season in his first year as head coach and brought the program's first ACC Championship since 1989 in his second. Similar to 2024, Duke will enter the regular season without much top-end talent on either side of the ball. Now, the 2024 defensive unit, at least on paper, was more talented than this incoming group, but Diaz and defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke can still make it work.

Loud has a path to be a consistent contributor for the Blue Devils, and could move up the depth chart pretty quickly and turn some heads. Keep an eye on Kyon Loud throughout training camp.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz reacts with defensive tackle Aaron Hall (99) in the first quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Other Top 30 Stories:

No. 30 WR Jaivon Solomon | No. 29 RB CJ Campbell | No. 28 QB Dan Mahan | No. 27 DT Preston Watson | No. 26 DT Owen Wafle | No. 25 IOL Sean Stover | No. 24 DE Kevin O'Connor | No. 23 CB Landan Callahan | No. 22 WR Javen Nicholas