Duke football announces 2025 national signing day class, one of the best in program history

Head coach Manny Diaz's first full class is one of Duke's best.
Head coach Manny Diaz's first full class is one of Duke's best.

The early signing period comes sooner than ever this year, now taking place Dec. 6-8 before the transfer portal window opens Dec. 9. The Blue Devils finished with a 9-3 regular-season record after a walk-off touchdown to beat Wake Forest last Saturday, and head coach Manny Diaz has now transitioned to securing the future stars on the gridiron. 

“I wouldn't be sitting here before you praising the highest-rated recruiting class in program history without immense alignment that I'm just so grateful for,” Diaz said. “We're recruiting captains, recruiting winners, and those are the exact type of people that we want to build our program with.”

Signing day — and the buildup to it — is always full of surprises, but when it was all said and done, Duke received commitments from a total of 27 recruits in this period, with the recruiting class currently ranked No. 33 in the nation according to 247Sports

“I do believe the class is a statement of intent, not just in terms of the quality that I just mentioned, but the quantity,” Diaz said. “You can always tell you when you have a win on signing day by the lack of drama in the 48 hours beforehand, and the fact that we had a very drama-free day today was sort of the cherry on top.”

Here are the recruits who signed early with the Blue Devils for the 2025 season.

Bradley Gompers (LB): After some late flip scares from Michigan and Penn State, Diaz holds on to the gem of his first class in Gompers. The versatile four-star projects to play linebacker in Durham after playing outside linebacker and tight end at Central Catholic High School. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native comes in as the third-highest ranked player in the state, and gives Duke its best recruit in program history. 

“Signing Bradley Gompers from Pittsburgh Central Catholic. I mean, just based off of the film, I don't know what the recruiting rankings say. He might be the best player in the state of Pennsylvania this year, and everybody went after him,” Diaz said. 

Bryce Davis (DE): In an unprecedented recruiting win for the program, Duke flipped Davis from Clemson in August after he originally picked the Tigers over the Blue Devils in July. The Greensboro, N.C., native comes in as the 20th-best edge rusher in the nation according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound defensive end figures to be an instant impact player in Durham, joining an already lethal rotation that features Wesley Williams and Vincent Anthony Jr. 

“To see Duke win versus Clemson and Georgia for Bryce, there's going to be future Bryce Davises in the state, and I told Bryce this when he committed to us. You're not just affecting your life,” Diaz said. “You're affecting right now there's some ninth grader in the state of North Carolina, doesn't even know that he's going to be that guy, but he knows who Bryce Davis is.”

Bariate Kara (DT): Duke added another key piece that could potentially line up in the trenches with Kara, as the Loganville, Ga., native is a four-star defensive-line recruit. The Blue Devils fended off Florida, N.C. State and Virginia Tech among others to snag the commitment of the lineman, who has only been playing organized football for the last two years. 

Nate Sheppard (RB): With the upcoming loss of Star Thomas, running backs coach Willie Simmons added another member to the stable in Sheppard, as the three-star recruit ranks as the 29th-best ball carrier in the nation. The Mandeville, La., native also is an excellent track runner, qualifying for regionals in the long jump and 110-meter hurdles in high school.

Jamien Little (WR): While they beat the Demon Deacons on the field last week, the Blue Devils also got a win over the Tobacco Road rival on the recruiting trail with the commitment of Little. The Hickory, N.C., product decommitted from Wake Forest Nov. 10, with Duke and North Carolina instantly vying for the 6-foot wideout’s services. Ultimately, Diaz won out, securing the 12th-ranked player in the state.

Sampson Onuoha (DE): Onuoha is another highly-touted defensive end to add to the recruiting class, as the London native comes in as the second-highest recruit in the state of Massachusetts after he transferred to Belmont Hill School. Onuoha also has an impressive basketball background, as he represented Great Britain at the FIBA U16 European Championships. Duke landed him over his hometown Boston College. 

Roman Fina (OL): The Blue Devils inked the sibling of a current Blue Devil last year with Jayden Moore, and that trend continues with Fina, who is the little brother of starting offensive tackle Bruno Fina. The siblings play the same position, and the younger of the pair comes in as the 60th-ranked offensive tackle in the nation. Duke beat out Arizona for the Tucson, Ariz., native. 

Jamin Brown (OL): Brown projects to play guard for the Blue Devils, as the Gadsden, Ala., native is the 56th-best interior offensive lineman in his class. He received second team all-state honors last season, and will help fortify the Duke offensive line rotation.

Jaivon Solomon (WR): Duke was able to hold off recent offers from Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech to land Solomon, the 119th-ranked wide receiver. The Gray, Ga., product gives wideouts coach Zohn Burden another 6-foot-1 option to pair with Little.

Tommy Rupley (DE): Rupley joins Onuoha as Belmont Hill School players to make the jump to Durham this year, as the fellow defensive lineman is the third-best player in Massachusetts, one slot behind his teammate. 

Andrew Pellicciotta (S): Pellicciotta was a late flip for Diaz and company, as the Malvern, Pa., native elected to sign with the Blue Devils as opposed to Navy. The versatile playmaker held a variety of roles for Malvern Prep, but is projected to play safety at Duke. 

Will Felder Jr. (LB): Felder is another Pennsylvania product in this class, as he hails from Philadelphia. The three-star linebacker racked up 55 tackles and two interceptions in his senior season at Roman Catholic High School, where he also helped their basketball team to a 6A state championship. 

Kaleb Lanier (CB): Lanier is the second top-100 cornerback in the class, as the Decatur, Ga., native comes in ranked 95th at his position. The three-time all-region honoree had an excellent senior season, totaling 36 tackles, five interceptions and 11 pass breakups. 

Dan Mahan (QB): Mahan is the lone quarterback in this class. The Burlington, N.C., native is one of the top-rated dual-threat signal callers in the country, and he has the unique ability to throw on the run. The 6-foot-2 quarterback is the No. 9 player in the state of North Carolina by Rivals and threw for more than 2,500 yards in his senior season.  

Elliott Schaper (LB): Shaper spent four years at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, where he won a state championship in 2021. The 6-foot-3 linebacker had a productive career, recording 108 tackles and nine sacks in his junior year.

Qeanu Johnson (WR): Johnson lettered three years at Hamden Hall Country Day, with the three-star receiver garnering all-league honors every year. He enters as the 12th-best player in Connecticut, adding to a nice set of recruits out wide for Burden. 

Cole Allen (OL): Allen brings immense size to the offensive trenches, as he measures at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds. The Jackson, Miss., native was a two-time all-state selection at Jackson Prep.

Ma’khi Jones (S): The Newark, N.J., native comes to Duke by the way of Georgia, as he transferred to Milton High School to finish out his high school career after starting at St. Joseph’s Regional. The three-star safety is graded 111th at his position nationwide. 

Asher Wasserman (LB): Wasserman is part of a second teammate pair to sign with the Blue Devils this cycle, as he and Johnson share the gridiron at Hamden Hall. The three-star is the 14th-highest ranked player in Connecticut, and he had an impressive 72 tackles and 10 tackles for loss during his senior season. 

Kolbe Harmon (CB): Harmon ranks 30th in the state of Tennessee, giving Duke another solid cornerback to add to the roster for 2025. Notably, he hails from Brentwood, the same town as former Blue Devil star Graham Barton.

Julius Columbus (DT): Columbus is another Georgia native to join the fold, as the 6-foot-1, 290-pound defensive lineman will enroll early in Durham. The Gainesville High School product carded five sacks during his senior campaign. 

Kai Jacobowitz (OL): Offensive line coach Jeff Norrid adds another West Coast tackle in Jacobowitz, as the Carlsbad, Calif., native comes in at a towering 6-foot-7. He should be able to provide a steady presence up front, as he did not allow a single sack over his senior career. 

Maliki Wright (S): The Orlando, Fla., native was extremely productive in his four-year career at Dr. Phillips High School. The three-star safety snatched seven interceptions over his senior season, also earning defensive MVP honors for his team. 

Evan Scott (OL): Scott is a three-star from Augusta, Ga., who is a commanding presence on the offensive side. At 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, he has the size to make a big impact early on Duke’s line.  

Nathan Kutufaris (OL): Kutufaris is another Pennsylvania product for Diaz’s recruiting class. The three-star recruit impressively did not give up a sack in his sophomore or junior season, and is a 6-foot-5, 270-pound lineman. 

Kavon Simmons (WR): Simmons, from Wake Forest, N.C., is a speedy wideout who played quarterback in his junior season in high school, similar to former Blue Devil Jalon Calhoun. Simmons passed for 2,000 yards as a junior and recorded 34 total touchdowns. 

Daniel Boyd (OL): Rounding out the class is Boyd, who is the No. 21 prospect in the state of Nevada by 247Sports. The Las Vegas native led Arbor View to its first state championship game and is a commanding finisher on the line. 

This year’s Blue Devils aren’t quite finished yet, as they will find out their bowl placement Sunday. 


Ranjan Jindal profile
Ranjan Jindal | Sports Editor

Ranjan Jindal is a Trinity junior and sports editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.

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