Fun While It Lasts: Duke Football Recruiting Class in Top 25

Is Duke football becoming a recruiting power?

Author:
Matt Giles
Jun 26, 2022 2:48 PM EDT

While folks are reading this, chances are another three-star 2023 recruit is committing to the Duke football program.

Already, the Blue Devils boast 14 pledges from the class, spanning several positions and consisting of 12 three-stars plus a pair of unrated prospects. All but two of those 14 have hopped on board this month alone; four have joined the club since Saturday.

As a result of the sudden recruiting flurry in Durham under first-year head coach Mike Elko, who took over the reins in January, Duke has entered relatively uncharted territory for the program.

Yes, the Blue Devils now sit just inside the top 25 on the 247Sports 2023 Team Rankings. No, that's not a typo.

Among ACC schools, they trail only Clemson (No. 4), Louisville (No. 13), Wake Forest (No. 18), and Boston College (No. 22).

What the Duke football class needs to remain in the top 25

Duke's No. 24 ranking is sure to slip into the land of mediocrity if the coaches don't soon snag someone with higher than a three-star rating. After all, they and their Boston College counterparts have the only collections in the top 25 without a single four-star or five-star.

And it's still early on the 2023 recruiting trail. Consider that the highest-ranked 2022 class without a four-star or five-star in tow was No. 46 Illinois.

In other words, winding up in the top 25 with nothing but three-star prospects and lower is unheard of these days.

So although the undeniable momentum is nothing short of encouraging, it must spread into four-star territory for the Blue Devils to make a newsworthy splash when it's all said and done.

The highest-ranked Duke class this century was No. 32 in 2016.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke football recruiting updates.