Duke Football Recruiters Boldly Enter Fray for Son of NFL Legend
On Friday, Woodward Academy (Ga.) junior Jerome Bettis Jr., son of 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers champ and Hall of Fame power rusher Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, revealed his offer from the Duke football program.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound budding three-star, who ranks No. 58 among wide receivers, No. 46 in Georgia, and No. 418 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite while boasting a 4.24 GPA, holds over a dozen offers. And Bettis is one of over a dozen at his position on the Blue Devils' 2025 wishlist (yet to yield any commitments).
Sure, he's nowhere near as burly as his 5-foot-11, 250-pound father. But judging by scouting reports and highlights, he has more speed, and "The Bus" genes appear to come in handy when fighting for the ball and again when bouncing off defenders after the catch.
Jerome Bettis Jr.'s recent visits to South Bend, Ind., and his longtime offer from Notre Dame, where his dad starred before going No. 10 overall at the 1993 NFL Draft, has many insiders viewing the Fighting Irish as the obvious early frontrunner in his recruitment.
But as second-year Duke football head coach Mike Elko and his now-No. 21 Blue Devils showed on Monday night by deflating then-No. 9 Clemson, 28-7, with Week 1's largest cable audience tuned in, the folks in Durham concede to no one these days.
On that note, one potentially ideal time to get Bettis on campus for a visit would be Sept. 30, when the Blue Devils host none other than Notre Dame in Wallace Wade Stadium.
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Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke football recruiting news.
