Duke’s secondary is one of the most interesting spots on the roster heading into summer training camp, and the Blue Devils are bringing in a newcomer who could jump right into the cornerback mix.
That newcomer is Dylan Flowers, a 5'10" defensive back who has already taken a winding path through college football and now arrives in Durham with a real shot to make his best season count. Duke lost key pieces from last year’s secondary, including cornerback Chandler Rivers and safeties Caleb Weaver and Terry Moore, and that leaves plenty of room for new faces to push for snaps. With returners and portal additions all in the mix, the cornerback battle should be one of camp’s most watched storylines.
Flowers comes to Duke after stops at Southern Utah, BYU, College of the Canyons, and Western Kentucky. He was a 3-star recruit out of high school and ranked as the No. 992 overall player, No. 84 cornerback, and No. 83 player in California in the 247Sports 2021 Composite Rankings.
He started at Southern Utah, where he spent two seasons, played in 10 games, and recorded eight total tackles and one tackle for loss. After that, he transferred to BYU and appeared in one game during his lone season in Provo.
When the field time didn’t come early in his career, Flowers took the JUCO route and moved to College of the Canyons. That decision paid off. In 2024, he put together a strong season with 42 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions, seven pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
Flowers then transferred again, landing at Western Kentucky for the 2025 season. He played in 12 games for the Hilltoppers, finished with 33 total tackles, four pass deflections, and a forced fumble, and ranked third on the team in pass deflections. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the fifth-highest-rated cornerback in the transfer portal.
Now Flowers heads to Duke for his graduate year, and he’ll do so with a chance to close his career on his biggest stage yet. He has played in 35 games across four programs and two levels, and there’s a path for him to become a major factor quickly.
Right now, Kimari Robinson and Landan Callahan are generally seen as the favorites at cornerback, but Flowers is firmly in the conversation to claim a starting role. Duke also added Kyon Loud from Montana and Evan Smith from Northwestern, giving the Blue Devils even more options in a group that already has depth and plenty of competition.
That secondary matters because Duke’s defense may need to carry a heavy load in 2026. The Blue Devils led the ACC in scoring last season with 34.6 points per game behind Darian Mensah, who topped the conference with 3,973 passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns while throwing six interceptions. But the offense could take a step back, which puts even more pressure on Manny Diaz’s defense to hold the line.
The 2026 team is starting to look a lot like Diaz’s first Duke squad in 2024, when the Blue Devils won nine games by leaning on defense. That group finished 12th in the ACC in scoring at 26.3 points per game, but led the league with 43 sacks, 19 forced fumbles, and 14 fumble recoveries, while also ranking fifth in interceptions with 13.
Duke’s front still has the chance to be dominant again, even after losing Wesley Williams and Vincent Anthony Jr. The secondary has more questions, but it also has a high ceiling - and Flowers is one of the newcomers who could help raise it.
In April, Duke signed Diaz to a contract extension through 2031, and athletic director Nina King called him "exactly the right leader at exactly the right time for Duke University." With that kind of backing, Diaz now has another shot to guide a Duke team with lower outside expectations toward another strong season. Flowers will be part of that push.
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