The biggest issue facing most first-year college football coaches revolves around the team’s experience and veteran leadership, especially in the modern era of the transfer portal. Teams that go through a coaching change usually lose most of their seniors, and even though new Duke coach Manny Diaz convinced safety Jaylen Stinson to stick around, the Blue Devils still lost more than his fair share of locker room voices.
Diaz managed to find a solution to that problem.
During his media appearances at the ACC Football Kickoff on Wednesday, Diaz said his team doubled its experience through transfer portal additions this offseason. He didn’t just make that claim for fun or pick a random amount, either. In a fashion befitting a top university, he brought some math and evidence to support his claim.
“Our returning snaps from who we had in spring practice was about 23,500,” Diaz told an ACC Network panel. “We added 24 players that have 24,000 snaps. We doubled the experience of our football team in just adding 24 guys.”
One of those notable additions, former Old Dominion wideout Javon Harvey, already has some fans in the quarterback room. Sophomore Grayson Loftis called him ‘a quarterback’s best friend’ thanks to his experience and dedication to preparation.
Other notable incoming transfers include former Liberty defensive lineman Kendy Charles, former New Mexico State running back Star Thomas, and former Rice cornerback Tre’Shon Devones, along with more than half a dozen offensive linemen.