Duke wide receiver [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag] began the next step of his football career on Friday when he officially declared for the 2025 NFL draft.
Pancol thanked the Duke coaching staff, teammates, and fans as well as his family in a social media statement.
“I am a reflection of the unconditional love you have given me,” Pancol wrote.
Pancol spent six seasons with the Blue Devils, but he missed the last four games of the 2022 regular season and the entire 2023 campaign with two separate ankle injuries. He got a chance to finish his collegiate career in style this year, earning the Brian Piccolo Award from the ACC after he caught 60 passes for 798 yards and nine touchdowns.
Pancol caught four touchdowns in the team’s first three games, but his best performance came in his final home game against Virginia Tech. He reeled in an 86-yard touchdown and a 77-yard touchdown on Duke’s first two possessions, ending up with 188 yards and a trio of scores on five receptions.
He finished his Duke career with 130 catches, 1,710 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns.
“I will always be a Duke Blue Devil,” Pancol concluded. “Nothing could have kept me from my second home.”