This is not a team you usually see near the top of recruiting rankings in football.
After the commitment of three-star wide receiver Dennis Smith (6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Gaffney, SC) on Sunday, 247Sports reports that DUKE has moved into the Top 20 of the recruiting rankings for the 2018 cycle.
Yes, Duke. In football!
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For now, that puts Duke right behind UCLA and USC, and ahead of powerhouses like Alabama, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Auburn, and Florida.
While it is still early — hell, Alabama is currently ranked 47th in the rankings — Duke does have a solid class so far regardless of where they end up. The Blue Devils' class has a cornerstone with four-star defensive end Tahj Rice, and they keep adding quality three-star guys that have the potential to become quality players at the college football level.
Shout out to head coach David Cutcliffe for really turning that program around from where they were a decade ago. For the sake of comparison, Duke has as many wins in the past five seasons (37) that they had in the previous 17 seasons combined. SEVENTEEN SEASONS!