Tag: Duke football

ACC approves in-helmet communication during football games

The ACC coaches unanimously support the addition of video usage on the sidelines and verbal communication from coach to player for the upcoming football season, according to a Wednesday release from the conference.

The ACC could have two landmark legislative changes for the 2024 football season.

According to a Wednesday release from the conference, conversations at the ACC’s annual winter meetings included support for in-game video use on the sideline and communication devices inside of player’s helmets for direct communication with coaches.

The NCAA Football Rules Committee would need to give both resolutions final approval, and the ACC added that a vote is expected later this month.

If the resolutions pass, ACC football coaches would have access to in-game video on the sidelines to assist with in-game adjustments (the tablets you see NFL coaches and quarterbacks holding on the bench).

The in-helmet communication system would also provide one-way auditory communication from coaches to players on the field, replacing the old system of sideline signals and hand gestures.

Both concepts were used in at least 14 bowl games, and a December report from Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger indicated there is a lot of private support for the new legislation to pass.

Every ACC Football Team’s 2024 Recruiting Class Ranking After National Signing Day

Here is a look at every ACC team’s final 2024 recruiting class ranking.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff showcased their recruiting prowess in the 2024 class, adding considerable talent to their roster. However, the burning question remains: how does Clemson’s recruiting effort compare to other ACC powerhouses following National Signing Day?

Today, we delve into the post-National Signing Day landscape, dissecting each ACC football team’s 2024 recruiting team ranking according to 247Sports. While Clemson remains a formidable force in ACC recruiting circles, they find themselves not at the summit for this particular recruiting cycle. Another program is poised for a significant resurgence, and the 2024 class appears to be the catalyst for their potential return to past glory.

From perennial ACC contenders to emerging teams within the conference, let’s examine the 2024 recruiting team ranking for each ACC program, shedding light on the evolving dynamics within the conference.

–Updated 2/13

Duke punter Porter Wilson invited to the NFL combine

Duke punter Porter Wilson led the ACC with 46.7 yards per punt last year, and now he’ll get to showcase himself to NFL teams.

A fourth Duke Blue Devil accepted his NFL Combine invite on Tuesday when the team announced punter Porter Wilson would participate in the showcase.

Wilson, a 6-foot-5 graduate student from Ohio, led the ACC with an average of 46.7 yards per punt last season. He averaged at least 50 yards in three separate games in 2023, including the season-opening upset of Clemson and the road game against eventual conference champion Florida State.

The Duke punter was named to the USA TODAY Sports All-American Second Team for the 2023 season, and he was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter.

He punted the ball 214 times across his four-year Blue Devils career, pinning 79 of them inside the 20 and averaging 44.4 yards per boot across his time in Durham.

Wilson joins teammates Graham Barton, DeWayne Carter, and Jacob Monk on the list of combine invites. The exhibition will take place from February 29 to March 3.

Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton cracks top 30 in latest Big Board from The Athletic

The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler released his top 100 prospects on Tuesday and Duke lineman Graham Barton is firmly in first-round range.

The case for Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton to hear his name in the first round of the NFL draft seems to be gaining steam this week.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his top 100 prospects for the upcoming 2024 NFL draft on Tuesday, and the former Blue Devil finished 27th in his overall rankings.

“Barton plays with the athletic control, core strength and stubborn mentality in the run game to execute his assignments,” Brugler wrote in his short breakdown.

The Duke offensive tackle, who is expected to move to the interior once he reaches the NFL, was Brugler’s second-highest center and his eighth overall offensive lineman in the big breakdown.

The high ranking comes in the same week that Barton went in the first 32 picks of mock drafts from both The Athletic and PFF. He went 21st to the Miami Dolphins in the former and 26th to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the latter.

Latest PFF mock draft has Duke lineman Graham Barton going 26th overall

Former Blue Devils offensive lineman Graham Barton played both tackle and center in Durham. Check out which NFC South team snagged him first round in PFF’s latest mock draft.

Pro Football Focus released a new mock draft after the Super Bowl, and Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton made the first-round cut.

PFF writer Trevor Sikkema projected Barton to go 26th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The former Blue Devil played offensive tackle for the past three seasons in Durham, but he projects more as an interior lineman at the professional level. He actually played center for Duke as a freshman.

“Barton is a tough son of a gun with vice grip-like hand strength and enough experience to realistically start in his rookie season,” Sikemma wrote about the 21-year-old lineman.

The PFF analyst also praised Barton’s versatility as a prospect (see: center as a freshman), and Sikemma (a noted Bucs fan) said the offensive interior is Tampa’s biggest need.

Barton appears to be gaining first-round traction after he also made the top 32 picks in a recent mock draft from The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner.

Offensive lineman Graham Barton goes first round in latest The Athletic mock draft

Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton has been right on the edge of the top 32 in most mock drafts, but The Athletic had him in the middle of the first round on Monday.

Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton has been right on the edge of being a first-round prospect during the evaluation process, but a Monday mock draft from The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner had Barton firmly within the first 32 picks.

Baumgardner picked Barton with the 21st overall pick to the Miami Dolphins in his latest projections, and the Blue Devil was the eighth offensive lineman and third interior lineman selected in his mock draft.

The Athletic writer called Barton, who played both tackle and center with the Blue Devils, the most versatile lineman in the class and said the former Duke lineman could be a center at the next level.

Despite being the No. 75 player on PFF’s Big Board and a standout performance during Senior Bowl practice, Duke defensive lineman DeWayne Carter was absent from Baumgardner’s three-round mock draft.

Former Blue Devils tight end Noah Gray wins second consecutive Super Bowl with Chiefs

Third-year Kansas City tight end and former Duke Blue Devil Noah Gray won his second consecutive ring with the Chiefs on Sunday in a 25-22 win over San Francisco.

Former Duke tight end Noah Gray became the second Blue Devil to win multiple Super Bowls on Sunday.

Gray and the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 25-22 in overtime for the team’s second straight championship.

Gray caught two passes for 22 yards in the final game, and he ended the NFL postseason with six receptions for 44 yards.

The former Duke tight end became the seventh Blue Devil to make multiple Super Bowl appearances, but only one of the previous six won a second championship.

Kansas City becomes the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowl titles since the New England Patriots in 2003-04.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won his third Super Bowl MVP award after he threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns.

4-star OT Robert Bourdon follows head coach Mike Elko from Duke and signs with Texas A&M

“A kid that we were very familiar with, had committed to coach Cushing and I back at Duke, decided to postpone his signing,” Mike Elko said.

After decommitting from Duke on Jan. 22, 4-star offensive tackle Robert Bourdon followed head coach Mike Elko to College Station as he immediately chose Texas A&M and made the choice official on Wednesday.

“Robbie Bourdon is an offensive lineman from Collierville High School in Collierville, Tennessee,” Elko said at his press conference Wednesday afternoon. “Obviously, a kid that we were very familiar with, had committed to coach Cushing and I back at Duke, decided to postpone his signing in December, we were able to get him out in January for a visit and able to get that one over the line.

“I think he’s an extremely athletic offensive lineman, he’s a lacrosse player, has really good feet, has a really big frame and I think he projects to be a really good offensive tackle for us, so really excited for that.”


Bourdon is 6-foot-6 and 292 pounds. He had 27 total offers, six campus visits and two coach visits. On Feb. 2, Bourdon posted a photo to X of him with Elko, offensive line coach Adam Cushing and associate head coach & running backs coach Trooper Taylor.

The Tennessee native is one of three players signed by Texas A&M on national signing day 2024 along with 5-star athlete Terry Bussey and 4-star wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Texas A&M hiring of Mike Elko classified as an ‘elite addition’ by 247Sports

“Not only is Elko respected on the recruiting trail, but he’s going to bring a sense of toughness and blue-collar mentality the Aggies didn’t seem to possess under the previous regime.”

The hiring of football head coach Mike Elko was the final major move by former Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork before departing Bryan-College Station for The Ohio State University.

247Sports writer Brad Crawford recently graded and organized the recent college football head coach hirings in tiers. Fans in Aggieland should be overjoyed with what Crawford said about Elko’s hiring, placing the move in his elite tier.

“This wasn’t rocket science for the Aggies after their initial pursuit of Kentucky’s Mark Stoops went awry down the stretch,” Crawford wrote. “The next choice was an obvious one with Elko, who transformed Duke in short order as a first-time head coach in the ACC after leaving Texas A&M’s staff previously as Jimbo Fisher‘s top assistant. Not only is Elko respected on the recruiting trail, but he’s going to bring a sense of toughness and blue-collar mentality the Aggies didn’t seem to possess under the previous regime.”

During his introductory press conference in Colombus, Bjork addressed his pursuit of Stoops.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Source: Transfer portal WR Javon Harvey has flipped from Texas A&M to Duke

It has been confirmed that former Old Dominion WR has flipped his initial commitment to Texas A&M, and will instead transfer to Duke.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has been on quite the hot streak concerning additions through the transfer portal. Fifteen players have been confirmed and more are expected to be announced in the coming days. Focused on filling out nearly every position group heading into the 2024 offseason, the addition of productive members to the wide receiver rotation was sorely needed.

After initially adding former Old Dominion WR Javon Harvey on Dec. 11, a surprise announcement from the man himself likely pushed Elko back to the drawing board. Harvey will flip his commitment to the Duke Blue Devils and new head coach Manny Diaz.

Yes, the irony is blatant. Elko served as Duke’s head coach for the past two seasons. Still, after A&M landed former Troy WR Jabre Barber on Friday, Harvey’s future in the Aggie offense, mainly in the slot, looked bleak due to Barber’s career production at the spot.

Former Louisiana Tech standout wide receiver Cyrus Miller will also compete for a starter/rotation spot in 2024.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.