Tag: Eli Pancol

Duke football picks up third Class of 2026 commitment from a South Carolina wide receiver

The Duke Blue Devils added their third commitment from the Class of 2026 on Monday, a 6-foot-4 wide receiver from South Carolina.

The Duke Blue Devils notched their third commitment from the Class of 2026 on Monday when Jude Hall, a 6-foot-4 wideout from South Carolina, announced his decision on social media.

The Christ Church Episcopal School product is not currently ranked by 247Sports, but at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, he clearly possesses the physical tools to play outside at the collegiate level. According to MaxPreps, he led the Cavaliers with 57 receptions for 795 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games, and he caught nine touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023.

Duke’s receiver depth was one of its best qualities in 2024, but the position group will experience a firm overhaul over the next two seasons. [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag], who combined for 1.539 yards and 16 touchdowns, both just finished their senior season. Sahmir Hagans will be a redshirt senior in 2025, and Old Dominion transfer Javon Harvey just used his final season of eligibility.

Hall joins four-star offensive lineman Sean Stover and three-star defensive lineman Ayden Cain in Duke’s current 2026 recruiting class.

Duke wide receiver named semifinalist for Comeback Player of the Year Award

Duke wide receiver Eli Pancol has been named a semifinalist for Comeback Player of the Year after his resurgent regular season.

The 2024 college football regular season ended with the Duke Blue Devils clinching their second nine-win season in three years. The path to 9-3 wasn’t easy, and it took a lot of impressive play.

Few players on the team matched the effort from wide receiver [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag], who played all 12 games after missing a majority of the prior two seasons. His return to the field earned him a place among the 12 semifinalists for the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award, according to a Tuesday announcement from the College Sports Communicators.

The award, which came about in 2018, acknowledges college football stars who overcame injury or various circumstances to see the field.

Pancol missed the last four games of the 2022 season with a broken ankle, and a fracture dislocation in his other ankle in training camp kept him sidelined for the entire 2023 campaign.

The fifth-year wideout roared back into competition with four touchdown receptions in his first three games. Pancol finished the 2024 regular season with a team-high 55 receptions for 741 yards and nine touchdowns. Those numbers include two massive performances against the SMU Mustangs and Virginia Tech Hokies, and he finished those contests with 16 catches for 326 combined yards and four touchdowns.

Pancol was one of two wide receivers on the semifinalist list, joined by Tennessee Volunteers star Bru McCoy. Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough and Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II were the other two ACC nominees.

Three of the athletes will be honored at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, which takes place on December 31.

Eight Duke football stars, including wideout Jordan Moore, honored on All-ACC teams

The ACC included eight Duke Blue Devils on its all-conference team for the 2024 college football season, including star wideout Jordan Moore.

The ACC released its 2024 all-conference teams for the 2024 college football season on Tuesday, and eight Blue Devils earned a spot on one of the three squads.

Cornerback [autotag]Chandler Rivers[/autotag], who finished the season with three interceptions, nine other deflections, and 52 total tackles, was the lone Duke football player on the First-Team squad, joining California’s Nohl Williams at the position. However, four Blue Devils made the Second-Team unit with three others on the Third-Team roster.

Offensive linemen Brian Parker II and Caleb Krings joined defensive tackle Kendy Charles and safety Terry Moore on the second team. Parker and Krings helped protect quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] all season, and the Blue Devils only surrendered 12 sacks as a team in 2024.

Charles, an offseason transfer from Liberty, finished with 49 total tackles, 7.0 of which resulted in a loss, with 2.0 sacks from the interior, and Moore tied Rivers with three interceptions on the season.

Wideouts [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] and [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag], both of whom surpassed 700 yards in the regular season, made the third team alongside linebacker Ozzie Nicholas.

Pancol, the Brian Piccolo Award recipient for the ACC this season, caught 55 passes for 741 yards and nine touchdowns after missing the entire 2023 season due to injury. His best game came in his final home game at Wallace Wade Stadium in Week 13 when he picked up 188 yards and scored three touchdowns on five catches against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Moore, who battled injury in the middle of the season, caught 50 passes for a team-leading 798 yards and seven scores. Nicholas paced the Blue Devils with 89 total tackles, and he forced turnovers on back-to-back plays against the Florida State Seminoles in Week 8.

Defensive end Wesley Williams, defensive tackle Aaron Hall, safety Jaylin Stinson, punter Kade Reynoldson, return man Que’Sean Brown, and linebackers Alex Howard and Tre Freeman all made the Honorable Mentions.

Duke wide receiver earns annual ACC award after bounceback season

The Duke Blue Devils surpassed expectations on the football field in 2024, and one offensive star earned a conference award for his efforts.

Duke football fans would have been forgiven for having tempered expectations for fifth-year wideout [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag] in 2024.

After Pancol stacked 565 yards and five touchdowns in his first three collegiate seasons, he missed the last four regular-season games in 2022 and the entire 2023 campaign with two separate ankle injuries.

In his final season with the program, however, Pancol paced the Blue Devils with 55 receptions and nine receiving touchdowns. He surpassed 100 yards twice this year, including a 188-yard performance against Virginia Tech that featured three trips to the end zone in Week 13.

He earned ACC Receiver of the Week honors for that game against the Hokies, and he took home another conference accolade on Monday when the ACC named him the recipient of the 2024 Brian Piccolo Award.

The award, given to the conference’s most courageous player, has been given out each year since 1970, but Pancol is the first Blue Devil honored since it was given to defensive lineman Scott Youmans in 1993.

That monster night against Virginia Tech came in Pancol’s final game at Wallace Wade Stadium, and he offered a small glimpse into his appreciation for this season on the ACC Network show “ACC Huddle” after the win.

“Seriously, it felt like a dream come true,” Pancol said. “Someone asked me out there, ‘What’d that feel like?’, it felt like a dream come true. I prayed for this.”

Through Week 14 of the college football season, Pancol is one of four ACC receivers with at least 50 receptions, 700 yards, and nine touchdowns. Only 25 wideouts across the entire country have matched that trifecta thus far.

Duke breaks into the top 25 in USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank

The Duke Blue Devils finally broke into the top 25 of the USA TODAY Sports college football power rankings on Monday after their eighth win.

The Duke Blue Devils clinched their third straight eight-win season on Saturday night, defeating the Virginia Tech Hokies 31-28 in their final home game of the season. As a result, USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg included them among his top 25 teams in his college football re-rank on Monday.

Myerberg moved the Blue Devils up three spots to 24th in his latest rankings, one spot ahead of the Colorado Buffaloes.

The aerial duo of [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] and [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag] certainly made an impression during Week 13. Pancol was named ACC Receiver of the Week after he caught two touchdowns longer than 75 yards on Duke’s first two possessions, ending the night with 188 yards and three scores.

The third touchdown connection gave Murphy his 25th scoring pass of the year, a new single-season school record.

Only three other ACC schools finished higher than Duke in Myerberg’s rankings. The Miami Hurricanes (No. 7) and SMU Mustangs (No. 8) will likely play in Charlotte for the conference title, but if Syracuse can find a way to upset Miami, the Clemson Tigers (No. 11) would take their place. All three squads remain in contention for a College Football Playoff appearance, either through the first-round bye as conference champion or via an at-large bid.

The North Carolina Tar Heels, after a 41-21 loss to Boston College, dropped down 10 spots to No. 72.

Duke’s Eli Pancol named ACC Receiver of the Week after monster game against Virginia Tech

Duke wideout Eli Pancol earned ACC Receiver of the Week honors after his three-touchdown performance against Virginia Tech.

Duke wideout Eli Pancol earned ACC Receiver of the Week honors on Monday after his three-touchdown game against Virginia Tech in Week 13.

The fifth-year receiver caught an 86-yard touchdown on the Blue Devils’ first offensive play of the game, and he followed that up with a 77-yard catch-and-run on the fourth offensive play to build a 14-0 lead.

Pancol caught his third touchdown with 5:41 left in the opening half, and he finished Saturday’s game with 188 yards on five receptions. Only 12 Blue Devils have ever accumulated more receiving yards in a single game.

Week 13 was Pancol’s second 100-yard game of the season. He finished with 138 yards and a score against SMU in Week 9, and his nine receiving touchdowns this season are tied for the third-most among ACC wideouts.

Entering the 2024 campaign, his previous single-game best was 106 yards against Northwestern in 2022. He now leads the roster in receptions (51) and receiving yards (721)

Duke football receives six votes in the AP Poll after Week 13 victory over Virginia Tech

With an 8-3 record after 11 games, the Duke Blue Devils earned a half-dozen votes in the AP Poll on Sunday.

The Duke Blue Devils couldn’t quite crack the top 25 of the AP Poll on Sunday, but head coach Manny Diaz and his squad received six votes in the updated rankings after Week 13.

The Blue Devils defeated Virginia Tech 31-28 on Saturday night thanks to a 188-yard, three-touchdown performance from fifth-year wideout [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag]. Quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] finished with a career-high 332 yards, and his third connection with Pancol gave him 25 passing touchdowns for the season, a new school record.

Between its record and its performance against the top teams on its schedule, Duke’s absence from the top 25 remains curious. The Blue Devils came within a 2-point conversion from beating the SMU Mustangs in Week 9 before building an 11-point lead over the Miami Hurricanes in Week 10.

The Hurricanes (No. 8) and Mustangs (No. 9) look destined for a clash in the conference title game. SMU already punched its ticket to Charlotte thanks to its 7-0 record against ACC opponents, and the Hurricanes would join them with a win over Syracuse next Saturday.

The Clemson Tigers (No. 12) are the only other ACC team within the top 25, and they’d face SMU if the Orange find a way to upset Miami. Duke’s six votes leave them unofficially in 31st.

Where are the Duke Blue Devils in the ESPN FPI rankings after Week 13?

After Duke’s eighth win of the 2024 college football season, where do the Blue Devils rank on the ESPN Football Power Index?

The Blue Devils continued their ascent up the college football world on Saturday night, scoring two touchdowns on their first four offensive plays en route to a 31-28 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies.

However, despite Duke’s 8-3 record, head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his team remain well down the rankings on the ESPN Football Power Index.

The Blue Devils rose three spots to 55th in the national rankings on Sunday, and the improvement actually moved them back above the North Carolina Tar Heels. UNC tumbled down to 57th after it spent Saturday on the wrong side of a 41-21 Boston College blowout.

However, several teams with worse records remain above Duke, even just in the ACC. The Eagles (6-5) vaulted up to 50th with their big win over the Tar Heels, the California Golden Bears (6-5) remain 46th despite nearly losing to Stanford, and the Hokies (5-6) themselves still managed to stay within the top 40.

The SMU Mustangs (12th) clinched a spot in the ACC title game with their victory over Virginia, and if the Miami Hurricanes (10th) beat Syracuse in Week 14, they’ll join them in Charlotte. However, an Orange upset would send the Clemson Tigers (14th) to the big game.

Eli Pancol says Duke football senior night ‘felt like a dream come true’

Duke receiver Eli Pancol dominated his final game at Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday night, and he raved about the experience afterward.

Duke wide receiver [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag] played at Wallace Wade Stadium for the last time on Friday night, and he made sure he left the locker room with a win as the Blue Devils defeated Virginia Tech 31-28.

Afterward, Pancol stopped by the ACC Huddle desk to talk about his emotions during the victory lap in Durham.

“Seriously, it felt like a dream come true,” Pancol said simply. “Someone asked me out there, ‘What’d that feel like?’, it felt like a dream come true. I prayed for this.”

“My cousin who was there, her daughters, they wrote a little Christmas list for me, they said to get some touchdowns and get some catches,” he continued.

Well, Pancol certainly delivered on that promise, and he wasted no time doing so. He outraced the Virginia Tech secondary twice on the opening two possessions, scoring touchdowns of 86 and 77 yards in the first seven minutes.

Pancol finished with 188 yards and three touchdowns on five catches, but he told the ACC Huddle crew that his production remained dependent on the looks from the Virginia Tech defense.

“It could’ve been anybody,” he said simply.

The Duke wide receivers have certainly traded big performances over the last five weeks, but none have done so as consistently as Pancol. After he missed the entire 2023 season with an injury, the veteran wideout has 721 yards and nine touchdowns through the first 11 games of his final season.

Saturday’s game was the second time Pancol eclipsed 100 yards within the last month after his 138-yard performance against SMU in Week 9.

The best Duke football photos from the Week 13 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies

Check out the best photos from the Duke football victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday night.

The Duke Blue Devils won their eighth game of the 2024 college football season on Saturday night, a 31-28 triumph over the Virginia Tech Hokies, but the journey to that victory contained highs and lows that would draw envy from playwrights.

Duke scored on two of its first four offensive plays thanks to 86-yard and 77-yard connections between quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] and fifth-year wideout [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag]. Pancol, in his final game in front of the Durham crowds, ended with a career-high 188 yards on five receptions, and he caught a third touchdown in the second quarter.

Murphy also set a new personal record with 332 yards, and that second-quarter touchdown gave him the school’s single-season record, but his day contained some bumps and bruises. The redshirt sophomore threw interceptions on back-to-back possessions in the middle of the first half, turning what looked like a romp back into a shootout.

Struggles aside, Murphy’s three touchdowns to Pancol and another scoring drive to open the second half proved to be enough for another victory in the end.

Check out the best Duke football photos from the last game at Wallace Wade Stadium this season.