Duke’s secondary is starting from scratch, and Manny Diaz is making sure everybody knows it.
After a season in which the Blue Devils’ pass defense sat near the bottom of the FBS, allowing 276.8 passing yards per game and ranking 134th out of 136 teams, Diaz has thrown the entire defensive backfield into open competition. Cornerback, safety, nickel - no one is walking into August with a locked-in job.
"There are no jobs claimed in the secondary, so everybody understands that every time there's a ball thrown, someone has a chance to earn playing time this year," Diaz said.
The urgency is obvious. Duke’s defense had a glaring weakness last season, and the staff responded by bringing in multiple transfer pieces to push for immediate roles.
Che Ojarikre arrived from Stanford, Dylan Flowers from Western Kentucky and Kyon Loud from Montana, and all three will get a shot at winning cornerback jobs. Ojarikre could also step into Chandler Rivers’ old nickel role after Rivers left for the NFL.
Safety is no less unsettled. DaShawn Stone and Andrew Pellicciotta are back, but they’ll have to fight off Patrick Smith-Young, who brings 25 career starts from his time at North Texas and Old Dominion.
Diaz isn’t pretending this will be smooth from the jump. He knows the first few weeks will come with mistakes and corrections.
"There will be ups and downs over the next three weeks, but I think the ones who are the most urgent day to day will probably be the ones who roll out there first against Tulane," Diaz said.
In Other News...
Dukes Rebuilt Defense Faces A Camp Test That Could Define 2025
Last seasons defensive numbers left Duke with no margin for comfort, and if the Blue Devils are going to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation, the rebuilt front has to come together quickly. The departure of key pieces up front and on the back end has turned training camp into an extended audition, with the coaching staff sorting through a group that includes Bryce Davis, Owen Wafle, DaShawn Stone, Andrew Pelicciotta, Patrick Smith-Young, Che Ojarikre and Kaleb Lanier.
The challenge is bigger than simply replacing names on a depth chart. Duke needs more disruption, more stability and a unit that can hold up against higher-level opponents, which makes every rep in camp matter for a defense trying to change its identity. How well those new pieces settle into their roles may end up shaping not just the start of the season, but whether this group can push the program where it wants to go in 2025. [Read more 🡒]
Duke May Be Catching A Crucial Break Before Its First Test
Dukes first real test of the season may have gotten a little easier before kickoff. Tulane could be without running back Jamauri McClure for the opener because of a left foot injury, a notable twist for a Green Wave offense that was already leaning on a rebuilt backfield after bringing in several veteran runners through the transfer portal.
For Duke, any edge matters in a debut that will say plenty about where Manny Diazs team stands right away. The Blue Devils are sorting through new starting quarterback options and some defensive questions, so the matchup was going to demand a clean start even before Tulanes injury situation entered the picture. Losing a proven runner from the other side would not settle anything on its own, but it could change the shape of a game that already feels revealing for both programs. [Read more 🡒]