Duke football pulled off a massive recruiting steal

New Duke football head coach Manny Diaz has a big task in front of him.

Former coach Mike Elko is now at Texas A&M, but he left behind a program that went 17-9 over the past two seasons with two bowl wins.

The Dukies are trending up on the gridiron, and Diaz needs to keep up that momentum. His first task will be beating Elon on Aug. 30, which should be a cakewalk. He also needs to keep Duke relevant on the recruiting trail, and the Blue Devils picked up a massive win on that front with the flip of four-star defensive lineman Bryce Davis from Clemson to Duke.

Davis had only been committed to Clemson since July 20, so clearly something about Duke had him feeling shakey.

“Duke has always been in the back of my mind. When you take away all of the logos and things like that, and I think about where I will really be happy at, the school is Duke," the four-star told On3 . "They have everything for me, and it really came down to me getting over the perception of me going to Duke and going there and making it my own."

To say that this flip is a massive win for Duke would be an understatement. Not only did the Blue Devils steal a recruit from Clemson — one of the top programs in the country — but Davis is a highly-ranked recruit. According to the 247Sports Composite, the Greensboro, North Carolina product is the No. 8 defensive lineman in the 2025 class. He's also the No. 59 recruit nationally.

Ultimately, this is a win Diaz and his staff can hang their hats on.

“It came down to me being a top priority for them. Since coach Manny Diaz got there, they have made me feel that way. They treated me and my family great and I love the opportunities they offer. Duke has everything I need," Davis said.