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

Duke Lands Commitment From Athletic 2027 Quarterback

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Hugh Straine | Last updated Mar 22, 2026 1:00 PM ET

Head coach Manny Diaz and the Duke football program have landed their second commitment from a class of 2027 prospect, as the Blue Devils have sealed a pledge from Aidan McPherson, a quarterback out of Rome, GA.

McPherson is currently unranked out of Rome High School, but the 6'0", 185-pound signal caller held offers from the likes of Boston College, East Carolina, West Virginia, and Arkansas State.

In 2025, McPherson threw for 3,096 passing yards and 31 touchdowns to go along with 964 yards on the ground and another 15 touchdowns. He is regarded as one of the more athletic quarterbacks in the 2027 class.

Duke Lands Commitment From QB Aidan McPherson

"None of this is possible without the man above," McPherson said in a post on X. "To my family, coaches, friends, and teammates, thank you for every sacrifice, every prayer, and every ounce of love and support you’ve given me."

"I am committed to Duke University."

None of this is possible without the man above. To my family, coaches, friends, and teammates, thank you for every sacrifice, every prayer, and every ounce of love and support you’ve given me.

I am committed to Duke University @coachbrewha @CoachHGregg @Coach_MannyDiaz pic.twitter.com/uMrocKXaQB
— Aidan McPherson (@amac2027) March 22, 2026

McPherson became the second commit for the Blue Devils in the 2027 recruiting class. The program has already sealed a commitment from three-star edge King Kalama out of Reagan High School in Pfafftown, NC.

Kalama is rated as the No. 528 overall player, No. 45 edge, and No. 17 player out of the state of North Carolina according to the 247Sports 2027 Composite Rankings. Duke now sits with the No. 59 overall 2027 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

Diaz and Co. Sit With QB Dilemma Heading Into 2026 Campaign

After the Duke program shockingly lost starting quarterback Darian Mensah to the transfer portal at the very last second, it was sent into a spiral as it looked to find a replacement.

The Blue Devils brought in graduate transfer Walker Eget from San Jose State, and the consensus view seems to be that Eget is the favorite to be the team's starter in 2026.

In 2025, the California native threw for 3,047 yards to go along with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Across his two seasons as a starter, he's thrown for a total of 5,551 yards while throwing 30 touchdowns and 19 picks on a 58.4% completion percentage.

Duke also brought in transfer Ari Patu from North Alabama and has Dan Mahan and three-star incoming freshman Terry Walker III on the roster.

The Blue Devils are coming off an ACC Championship in 2025, and although its expectations were set back quite a bit with the departure of Mensah, it still has the makeup to make some noise in 2026.

This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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