Head coach Manny Diaz will have to do more with less once more this season despite coming off a year where the Duke Blue Devils football program won its first outright ACC Championship since John F. Kennedy was president.
However, Diaz's job becomes much easier if he strikes gold with his transfer portal acquisitions this summer. That could mean Duke will have a handful of potential standouts on their hands, to the point where they may quickly become superstars for the program. Here are three players who could become major gems for the Blue Devils .
A Duke football helmet on the Duke's sideline during the game against MTSU on Saturday Sept. 14, 2019, at MTSU.72 Mtsu V Duke Football | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
There is an argument that Nick Del Grande was the best offensive tackle in the Sun Belt Conference last fall despite missing a handful of games due to injury. In the 663 snaps he took for the Chanticleers in 2025, he allowed no sacks and just 11 pressures for the season.
Del Grande has only allowed four sacks in three years at Coastal Carolina , and now he'll look to maintain the steadiness at left tackle for Duke. Del Grande is one of the most important pieces of the revamped Blue Devils offense, which has undergone significant changes throughout the offseason.
With another strong year with a low pressure rate and little to no sacks allowed, he could become one of the most intriguing offensive tackle prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft.
Sep 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte 49ers receiver Joven Nicholas (5) makes a sideline catch against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I've talked a lot about Nicholas, recently doing a film review on the former LSU and Charlotte standout. This was the best offensive player for the 49ers last fall, and it wouldn't be a stunning conclusion that he could be the same in Durham; the ceiling of what he could become as the No. 1 target for a Power Four team is incredibly high.
Nicholas offers the speed, explosiveness after the catch, and toughness at the catch point to be an elite playmaker for the Blue Devils. He could be a better pass-catcher than Cooper Barkate , who had just the third 1,100-plus-yard season in program history .
Hear me out: the Blue Devils are getting two of their top cornerbacks from last fall back this year in Landon Callahan and Kimari Robinson, and while both provided solid production in 2025, Duke could certainly do better in this room. That is why they added a top FCS cornerback in Kyon Loud, who is only a redshirt sophomore with a high ceiling to become a starter in Durham.
At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Loud has the size and physicality to be a standout on the perimeter in Jonathan Patke's defense . The tools are available for him to be a key contributor for Duke right away, with the potential to be one of the best starters on the roster.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as 3 Duke Football Transfers Who Could Be Superstars .
