Ranking Every Duke Transfer Acquisition

The Duke football program and its expectations heading into the 2026 campaign look vastly different from what they did just a couple of weeks ago. Head coach Manny Diaz and his staff delivered the first ACC Championship to Durham since 1989 in 2025 and were looking to build on that success.

Now, after probably the most chaotic Transfer Portal situation of any team in college football, the Blue Devils have a ton of new faces in the program, and a ton of old faces on their way out. Nonetheless, the Blue Devils still have some talent coming in to help the program try to protect its ACC crown.

dia — Nov 29, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the fourth quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Let's rank every Transfer Portal acquisition for the Blue Devils from the offseason.

1. QB Walker Eget - San Jose State

Eget might not be the most talented player on this list, but he's the most important after star QB Darian Mensah elected to hit the portal at the last second. The California native has spent his entire four collegiate years with the Spartans, starting the last two. In 2025, Eget threw for 3,047 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions on a 59% completion percentage.

Across his career, Eget has thrown for 5,559 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions on a 57.7% completion percentage. The 6'3", 223-pound signal caller is the No. 61 QB in the portal according to 247Sports.

2. WR Jared Richardson - Penn

Beyond losing Mensah, Duke also lost top receiver Cooper Barkate to the portal as well. Barkate is another former Ivy League product who came over to Durham, becoming Duke's first 1,000-yard receiver since Jamison Crowder in 2014.

Richardson led Penn in receptions (80), receiving yards (1,033), and receiving touchdowns (12) in 2025, while leading the Ivy League in receptions and receiving touchdowns. Across his career, he's tallied 193 catches for 2,505 yards and 27 touchdowns. Richardson is the No. 103 portal receiver according to 247Sports.

3. CB Dylan Flowers - Western Kentucky

Duke lost a lot of its secondary after this season and Flowers will be a big piece at cornerback. The California native spent two seasons at Southern Utah, one at BYU, one at College of the Canyons, and this past campaign at WKU. With the Hilltoppers, Flowers totaled 33 tackles, four pass deflections, and one forced fumble. He's the No. 39 cornerback in the portal according to 247Sports.

4. S Patrick Smith-Young - North Texas

Smith-Young spent the first two collegiate seasons of his career at North Texas before transferring to Old Dominion in 2024. He then transferred back to UNT for the 2025 season. With Old Dominion in 2024, Smith-Young tallied 42 tackles, one interception, one sack, and one forced fumble. Back with the Mean Green in 2025, he led the team's secondary with 73 tackles and three pass deflections.

5. OT Nick Del Grande - Coastal Carolina

The Blue Devils also lost a lot of offensive line depth, and Del Grande will be asked to jump in to keep Duke's line as successful as last year. The 6'4", 302-pound product has spent his entire collegiate career at Coastal Carolina, earning First Team All-Sun Belt honors as a redshirt junior in 2025.

6. CB Kyon Loud - Montana

Loud has spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Montana, totaling 43 tackles and six pass deflections. The 6'2", 172-pound corner will be another piece to help hopefully replace Duke's talented secondary from the past few seasons. Loud is the No. 81 portal corner according to 247Sports.

7. WR Javen Nicholas - Charlotte

Nicholas began his collegiate career as a preffered walk-on at LSU where he was primarily a special teamer for two seasons. He transferred to Charlotte in 2025, where the 5'9", 190-pound target caught 60 passes for 740 yards and five touchdowns. Nicholas is the No. 76 receiver in the portal according to 247Sports.

8. OT Braden Miller - California

Miller spent his first two college seasons at Michigan State before headed to Cal where he's been for the last two years. The 6'6", 315-pound lineman appeared in all 13 games for the Golden Bears in 2025 while making seven starts. Miller is the No. 13 offensive tackle in the portal per 247Sports.

9. S Che Ojarikre - Stanford

Injuries kept Ojarikre out for the entire 2024 campaign, but the 6'2", 205-pound safety bounced back in 2025 with 30 tackles and two pass deflections as a redshirt sophomore. He's spent his entire career so far at Stanford and is ranked as the No. 81 safety in the portal according to 247Sports.

10. TE Nate Kurisky - Louisville

Kurisky has spent the last four seasons at Louisville, totaling 50 receptions for 410 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2025, the 6'3", 240-pound tight end went for 20 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns, marking career-highs in receptions and yards. The Virginia native is the No. 77 portal tight end according to 247Sports.

11. RB CJ Campbell Jr. - Rutgers

This will be Campbell's fourth school in five years. The 5'10", 210-pound back spent two years at Florida State, one at Florida Atlantic, and one at Rutgers. Earning Second Team All-AAC honors in 2024, Campbell totaled 165 carries for 844 yards and 14 touchdowns. In three games with the Scarlet Knights in 2025, he tallied 22 carries for 119 yards.

12. DL Owen Wafle - Penn State

Wafle was a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school, ranked as the No. 50 defensive lineman in the country per 247Sports and holding offers from Notre Dame and Michigan. As a redshirt freshman at Penn State in 2025, Wafle carded five total tackles and is the No. 162 DL in the portal according to 247Sports.

13. RB Wilhelm Daal - Yale

Daal has spent the last four seasons at Yale, but didn't earn a chance to be the starter until 2025. This past season, the 6'1", 221-pound back notched 80 carries for 439 yards and two touchdowns. Across his career, Daal has rushed the ball 98 times for 523 yards and three touchdowns.

14. QB Ari Patu - North Alabama

Patu is another college football journeyman, spending the first three seasons of his college career at Stanford and the last two at North Alabama. Injuries have kept Patu from getting a full opportunity as a starter, as he's only appeared in 11 games across the last three seasons. Through his career, Patu has completed 53.3% of his passes for 1,202 yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 picks.

15. CB Evan Smith - Northwestern

Smith has spent four years with the Wildcats, with his best season coming in 2024, where he went for 28 tackles, three pass deflections, and an interception as a redshirt sophomore. Across his career, Smith has etched 42 tackles, four pass deflections, and one interception.

16. DL Dakota Quinonez - Dartmouth

Quinones has spent all four of his collegiate seasons at Dartmouth, totaling 21 tackles and a sack across his career. 247Sports ranked the 6'1", 285-pound defensive lineman as the No. 169 DL in the portal.

17. LB Jon Morris - UConn

Morris has spent the last two seasons with the Huskies, totaling five tackles as a redshirt freshman in 2025. Jon is the brother of current Duke linebacker Nick Morris Jr.

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