RB Mataeo Durant, prime Duke target, sets announcement date

Duke already had a dozen players who’ve said they’ll be in the Blue Devils 2018 football recruiting class.
One of the positions yet to be addressed is running back but Duke is on the verge of taking care of that.

On Friday, three-star back Mataeo Durant of McCormick, S.C, set his announcement for July 8. Duke is considered the leader for his services with Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and nearby Wofford also among his five finalists.

The 6-0, 183-pound Durant has visited all five schools.

Several players who’ve already committed to Duke for the 2018 class are actively recruiting him. Quarterback Gunnar Holmberg is one. Wide receiver Jake Bobo is another.

Duke already has one four-star player, Tahj Rice, and 11 three-star players committed for next year. The class is rated No. 34 nationally by 247sports.com and No. 9 in the ACC.

Durant would join Holmberg, Bobo and wide receiver Dennis Smith as offensive skill players in the class. Tight end Zamari Ellis from Henderson, N.C., has also committed. Brenden Brady, a three-star running back from Texas, visited Duke in early June but has since committed to Rice.

Duke has signed two running backs in each of the last two recruiting classes.