Duke wrestling has locked in six freshmen for the 2026-27 roster, and head coach Glen Lanham says the class checks a lot of boxes right away.
The newcomers are Hunter Berger of Honolulu, Hawaii; Colby Vital of Coventry, R.I. ; Austin Laws of Newton, N.C.
; Charlie Lussier of Hanson, Mass. ; Brendan Kelly of West Chester, Pa.; and Jack Dragoumanos of Tyngsborough, Mass.
Lanham said the group stood out because of how much they kept competing beyond the regular season.
"I really like this group. They're one of the more active recruiting classes when it comes to continuing to compete throughout the summer," said Lanham.
"I've seen a lot of these guys wrestling at Fargo, National Duals and a variety of freestyle events, which speaks to their commitment to improving. I'm excited about what this class brings to the table.
They fill some important needs on our roster, especially in the lower weight classes, where we've been focused on building depth and continuing to develop. This group brings an impressive combination of accomplishments and experience.
Overall, it's a talented, experienced class that we're really excited to welcome to our program."
Berger arrives after putting together a perfect 105-0 high school record at Saint Louis School. The 5-foot-9 wrestler competed at 141/149 and won four ILH State titles, taking crowns as a freshman at 106 pounds, sophomore at 126, junior at 132 and senior at 138.
He was named ILH Wrestler of the Year twice and earned ILH Co-Wrestler of the Year as a sophomore. Berger also collected four Hawaii Officials titles, four HHSAA State titles and four HFUSAW Freestyle/Greco State titles.
His awards included the 2026 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Hall of Honor Award and the Saint Louis School Class Scholar-Athlete Award. He added All-America honors with a fifth-place finish at the 2025 Journeyman Classic Invite, and his background also includes a 2019 IBJJF title and a 2018 Worlds championship.
Dragoumanos, listed at 5-8 and 141 pounds, comes from Belmont Hill School after earning three National Prep All-America honors. He was a four-time Prep New England finalist and won the event twice, as a junior and senior.
In 2026, he was honored by both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald as an All-Scholastic selection and was named the 2025 ISL League Outstanding Wrestler. He finished fifth at National Prep as a senior and placed sixth there as both a sophomore and junior.
A wrestler for Doughboy Wrestling Club, Dragoumanos also lettered in soccer as a freshman and sophomore and was a four-year wrestling letterman and Honor Roll student.
Kelly, a 5-4, 184-pound recruit from Malvern Prep, picked up National Prep All-America honors in both his sophomore and junior seasons. As a junior, he wrestled at 113 pounds and finished second at Pennsylvania Prep State before placing seventh at National Prep.
He missed his senior season because of injury. Earlier in his prep career, he wrestled at 106 pounds as a sophomore, finishing third at Pennsylvania Prep State and fifth at National Preps.
Kelly also turned in results for Malvern Wrestling Club, placing fifth at The Surge 2023, third at the 2024 Journeymen Fall Classic and second at The Surge 2024. He earned Distinguished Honors and First Honors at Malvern Prep and also lettered in rugby as a freshman and sophomore.
Laws, who checks in at 5-7 and 149 pounds, posted a 175-26 record at Fred T. Foard High School.
He was a two-time I-64 All-American under B2A, a four-time conference champion and a four-time state qualifier. His senior year ended with conference, regional and state titles.
As a junior, he was third at regionals, fourth at states and won the Greco-Roman state title. He placed second at regionals and fifth at the state meet as a sophomore, and as a freshman he finished third at regionals while helping a dual state championship team.
Lussier, a 6-0, 165-pound wrestler from St. Paul’s School, compiled a 209-25 record in high school.
He earned the Buxton Medal as a senior and was named Class A Most Outstanding Wrestler in both his junior and senior seasons. He made the NEIWA All-New England Team as a junior and was a Patriot League All-Star/MVP as a sophomore and junior.
As a senior, he won the Class A title at 157 pounds, added a New England placing and qualified for Prep Nationals. He was a New England finalist as a junior, after reclassifying and competing at both Whitman Hanson H.S. from 2021-24 and St.
Paul’s from 2024-26. His resume also includes Massachusetts All-State finalist and Massachusetts state finalist honors as a sophomore.
Vital, listed at 5-10 and 165/174, is the final member of the class. At Ponaganset High School, he also built an accomplished prep résumé.
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