Former Duke Standout Praises Program During NFL Transition

As the Duke Blue Devils begin their transition into the 2026 college football season, many of their key standouts from last year's ACC Championship roster moved on to the next phase of their football careers. Team captain of the past two seasons and standout defensive tackle Aaron Hall was one of those players.

Hall, a Durham native, spent five years with the program before becoming one of the key defensive starters under head coach Manny Diaz. Hall is now in Charlotte as a member of the Carolina Panthers after signing as an undrafted free agent, and recently spoke to the Charlotte Observer on his transition to the NFL and how much the Duke program meant to him during his five years at the collegiate level.

Hall on Why He Picked the Carolina Panthers

Hall Duke — Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Aaron Hall (99) and defensive end Wesley Williams (97) celebrate after winning the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Hall had a chance to pick any team he wanted after going undrafted, including the Cincinnati Bengals, who he said worked with him at the East-West Shrine Bowl, specifically the defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery. Hall views his versatility to play three-technique, nose tackle, or big end in a 3-4 base front as one of his biggest perks.

The Panthers are one of the most versatile defenses in the NFL under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. For Hall, that perk would theoretically help keep his new teammates fresh, and he hopes to do the same for star defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

"For one, coming in and being versatile and realizing I can take snaps from where all those guys play in kind of freshens them up," Hall told The Observer's Mike Kaye. "I know some people don't understand that part of the game is taking that pressure off of Derrick Brown so that he's fresh in the fourth quarter, clutch time. I think just being able to do everything down the line is the greatest opportunity that I'm able to see coming in."

What It Meant for Hall and His Teammates To Win the ACC

While Duke was never a 10-win, College Football Playoff-contending team, it was meaningful for both Hall and his teammates to accomplish something the program hadn't done in over six decades: win the ACC football conference outright. He and his teammates were well-known commodities at the Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas, and were highly praised for the job they did.

"[We] just continue to lean on that and lean on each other. We took a hard road to get to the ACC," Hall explained. "A lot of people know we lost some games we shouldn't have lost, but got the blessing to kind of rewrite those losses. And understanding, using that opportunity to see and feel how strong we were as individuals coming from that program was everything to us after the postseason. That's what was huge."

Hall UNC — 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 | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

For the past five years, Hall has experienced significant change within the program, including new head coaches and defensive coordinators. Yet, it was important to him to see each of those coaches maintain the same principles for the Blue Devils to continue developing into a successful program in the ACC. For Hall, it meant the world to him, and he wouldn't be here without the likes of Mike Elko and Manny Diaz.

"I think just Duke bringing those same types of guys and keeping those same types of principles. It means everything to me," Hall said. "I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be the player or person I am today without having that group of individuals continue to just come through the building and shape who we are, who I am as a player."

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