Manny Diaz Shaping Up Duke Draft With Former Coach's Help

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Manny Diaz Shaping Up Duke Draft With Former Coach's Help
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Manny Diaz, head football coach at Duke, shouts during the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Arizona State at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Before the Duke Blue Devils hired Manny Diaz, there was Mike Elko, who put the program on the map in his two seasons in Durham.

Players such as quarterback Riley Leonard (who transferred to Notre Dame in 2024), offensive linemen Graham Barton and Jacob Monk, and defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, were key pieces to Elko's success. However, when Elko left for Texas A&M, Diaz took the reins in hopes of maintaining the success his predecessor had been building.

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Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Heading into his third season with the Blue Devils, with the help of Elko's 2022 recruiting class, Diaz has built an arsenal of potential NFL Draft selections after not having any in 2025. It provides an excellent sign for the future of the program and its potential strengths in 2026.

Mike Elko's Recruiting Class Has Shaped the Blue Devils Potential Draftees

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Nov 25, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko looks on before the first half of the game against Pittsburgh Panthers at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Elko's impact on the Blue Devils roster will be felt for years. His success in the early portions of 2023 put Duke's football program on the map, along with himself as a potential top head coach hire for the following season. His 2022 class featured offensive lineman Brian Parker II, cornerback Chandler Rivers, and pass rushers Vincent Anthony Jr. and Wesley Williams.

In the transfer portal era, these four could've left when Diaz was hired as Elko's replacement. Instead, they stuck around, hoping to continue to build what the latter had started. It all came to fruition when all four standouts from the 2022 high school recruiting class were key parts of the Blue Devils' magical run in 2025, culminating in an outright ACC Championship for the first time in 63 years.

Diaz Shaped Up 2026 NFL Draft Arsenal for Blue Devils

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Manny Diaz, head football coach at Duke, celebrates a 42-29 win with his team against Arizona State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Parker, Rivers, Anthony, and Williams, along with defensive lineman Aaron Hall and linebacker Tre Freeman, could help Duke earn the most selections it has had in a single draft since 1965, when it had eight players drafted over 17 rounds. All of this is due to the vision and pathway Diaz instilled in the program in the past two seasons, which led to nine wins and the ACC title in 2025.

Diaz and Elko have helped change the program both directly and indirectly. While expectations for Duke in 2026 are lower thanks to the transfer portal and NIL, Diaz could continue to extract more talent for the Blue Devils for the 2027 NFL Draft, one year from next week.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Manny Diaz Shaping Up Duke Draft With Former Coach's Help.

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