Aug 28, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz reacts during the warmups before the game against the Elon Phoenix at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images James Guillory-Imagn Images

Duke's Football Youth Players Are Leading the Way This Season

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 11:00 AM ET

After starting the season off slowly, the Duke Blue Devils have gotten on a roll as of late. They are winners of three straight, but more importantly, they are finding a groove on all three units during their win streak.

The Duke Blue Devils are coming off a massive win on the West Coast over the University of California. That was a game where the Blue Devils dominated from start to finish.

It was great to see that the team was ready to go and played some of their best football of the season, a long way from home. A lot of credit has to go to head coach Manny Diaz and his Duke coaching staff. They did a great job of getting the players in the best position to be successful.

This turnaround has been fueled by the lower classmen of this team. It is great to see these young players take a huge step in helping this football team in any way possible.

Duke's Youth Movement

"As Diaz walked through the Cal tape with David Harding, he framed one second‑quarter sequence as "the turning point of the entire game." The veteran presence came first, with senior DB playing disciplined outside leverage "because he's got a safety help in the middle," squeezing the throw into a spot the quarterback "has to throw… over the inside shoulder of the wide receiver."

When that ball arrived, freshman safety flipped the field by grabbing the pass, turning defense into offense with a return across midfield to set up the drive that tied the game," said John Watson of 247sports.

"From this point on," Diaz said, "we shut [Cal] down on defense."

That theme — veterans setting the table, freshmen finishing — carried into the next possession, and was something the coach highlighted throughout the remainder of the film session.

Soon after, the coach moved the review to the defensive line, pointing out how veterans once again set the table for the young guys to make plays.

Out of the break, the youth movement kept flashing. "We've seen Schaper," Diaz said as the clip rolled — "Here's," locked to a tight end and taking away the first read while Schaper lurked underneath. Up front, a captain cashed the stat line because a rookie detonated the edge.

"Aaron Hall, an old guy, has got a great move and he's going to get a sack on this play. But the reason why he gets a sack is because of."

"Watch what Bryce Davis… just one year removed from high school… what he does to this offensive lineman. You want to talk about speed to power, getting underneath his pads? Watch! He is 55… off the ground. That is a large human being that is off the ground right there. And that's why there's no escape valve."

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

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