Duke National Signing Day Live Blog
With just a few days on the job and no staff under contract, new Duke football coach Mike Elko has devoted most of his early work to preparing for the start of the early signing period.
"My priority since I got hired has been this recruiting class," he said. "I think that is the first and foremost thing we've got to get hammered out. They've been through a tough two weeks, trying to find out who they are going to send their son to play for, their son trying to figure out the man they are going to play for and so I've spent a lot of time in that avenue over the last couple of days, trying to ease everybody and make sure we get to Wednesday and get this class signed and part of this community. Then from there, it will be building a staff."
Heading into signing day, former coach David Cutcliffe's 18-man class of commitments had, for the most part, held together. There were only two known decommitments: Kennesaw, Georgia WR Savion Riley, who flipped to Vanderbilt, and tight end Max Klare of Cincinnati, who went to Purdue.
David Cutcliffe always liked to wrap up NSD early with no drama, and you can tell these are his recruits. The letters are flying in during the first hour the signing period is open.
Defensive lineman Vincent Anthony of Jordan High, right in Durham, NC, is the first letter to arrive.
Wesley Williams of Haymarket, VA arrives a few minutes later. He's listed as a tight end by most recruiting services, but Duke seems to be planning to use him at defensive end.
No surprise that Elko, a longtime defensive coordinator, would hit it off with that side of the ball. The third signee is also a defensive player, linebacker Carter Wyatt of Shallotte, NC
Signee number four brings another linebacker: Gibsonia, PA's Jeremiah Hasley.
Safety Nathan Vail of Kennesaw, GA is next to go.
A third prospect from North Carolina is in. Terry Moore, of Washington, NC, gets his letter in. He could play either running back or safety with the Blue Devils. Duke's football Twitter introduced him as "a straight up athlete"
The first undisputed offensive player is in: running back Eric Weatherly of Jacksonville, FL.
Duke's highest rated commitment in the class, offensive lineman Steven Nahmias helps Elko hit the halfway point. Eight of the 16 possible letters are in.
Greensboro WR Mekhi Wall gets his letter in.
Another offensive lineman is in the fold as tackle Brian Parker II of Cincinnati is signed.
Raleigh tight end Jake Taylor is off the board as well.
Duke now waiting on five unsigned commits: Chandler Rivers, Henry Belin, Jaden Watkins, Kenzy Paul and Matt Craycraft.
There's Beaumont, TX cornerback Chandler Rivers. Four left on the board.
Dallas offensive tackle Matt Craycaft is in.
Jaden "Cash" Watkins, wide receiver out of Asheville, is signed.
Kenzy Paul, who played in Chattanooga but is a Canadian native, is in. The former Vanderbilt commit is listed as an athlete but is a likely DB.
Still waiting on the quarterback in the class, Henry Belin. He told some media outlets yesterday he was still planning on signing today.
