Months after signing the most talented recruiting class in the Cutcliffe era, the Duke coaching staff has already began reeling in a number of recruits for the Class of 2015.
The Blue Devils received four verbal commitments during the past month after a slow start on the recruiting trail.
The biggest splash made by the Duke recruiting staff was the commitment of offensive lineman and California native Reno Rosene, who Rivals has ranked as a four-star prospect. Rosene also held offers from a number of top programs. If his commitment holds until signing day, Rosene will become an important player in replacing senior offensive linemen Laken Tomlinson and Takoby Cofield.
Rosene’s signing did not overshadow other good news for the Duke football program. The Blue Devils inked verbal commitments from a trio of three star prospects: dual-threat quarterback Quentin Harris of Watertown, Conn., linebacker Joe Giles-Harris of Montvale, N.J. and wide receiver Flynn Nagel of Chicago, Ill.
Harris will join a long line of talented quarterbacks playing under quarterback guru David Cutcliffe, but his signing affirms the coaching staff’s desire to put dual-threat quarterbacks under center in future seasons. Expect Harris to redshirt his first year as a quarterback competition unfolds in early 2015, as Thomas Sirk, Parker Boehme and Nicodem Pierre will battle for the starting spot that Anthony Boone will vacate at the end of this season.
Giles-Harris is a solid linebacker who is ranked as the No. 19 player in New Jersey by 247sports.com and will help fill the void that senior linebackers Kelby Brown and David Helton leave when they graduate after the 2014 season. He committed to Duke instead of Boston College, West Virginia, Illinois and Cincinnati.
Nagel is Duke’s most recent commitment and jumped at his first official offer from any school earlier this week during a visit in Durham. He is the 62nd ranked wide receiver in the nation according the 247sports.com.
The recent commitments bring the Blue Devil’s total 2015 commitments to seven, as three-star defensive lineman Brandon Boyce and Zach Morris committed in late 2013, and safety Jordan Hayes committed to Duke earlier this year.
According to Rivals.com, the Blue Devils currently hold the nation’s 33rd best recruiting class, notably ahead of Oregon, Stanford and Michigan State.
Duke can make another huge jump in the rankings, as it has an outside chance at four-star safety Rashad Roundtree. The Evans, Ga. native recently delayed announcing his top five schools, but assured WJBF that Duke would be on it. The Blue Devils will face an uphill battle for Roundtree’s signature, as the rising high school senior also holds offers from Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and Clemson.
The commitments and news of Roundtree’s high interest in Duke comes as the Blue Devils hosted a number of prospects at a camp in the past week.
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