Manny Diaz turns to four-star phenom Obinna Umeh to ignite the Duke Blue Devils' pass rush, providing the explosive athleticism needed to anchor a new-look defensive rotation.
One talking point that is going under the radar this offseason for Duke is that head coach Manny Diaz is only expected to start two transfers on defense: cornerback Ché Ojarikre and defensive tackle Owen Wafle.
Duke's defense should be strong this season, which could help the team contend for a bowl game despite losing quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Cooper Barkate to Miami in the transfer portal this offseason.
The Blue Devils do have some key elements from the team that won the ACC championship last season, though obviously repeating as champs and making a College Football Playoff run seems impossible without Mensah returning, as his replacement, San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, doesn't have nearly the same skill set.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports thinks a freshman defender could make an instant impact for Duke this season. He named edge Obinna Umeh as a freshman to watch in the ACC this fall.
"One of Duke's two four-star signees, Umeh could help address one of the defending ACC champions' biggest concerns on defense — generating more pressure on third down," Crawford wrote. "The Blue Devils need an infusion of athleticism and pass-rushing ability up front, and Umeh has the physical tools to earn rotational snaps immediately.
"His first-step explosiveness and closing speed make him an intriguing developmental edge rusher, though Duke won't ask him to shoulder a major workload right away. If one freshman is poised to make an impact during the second half of the season, Umeh is the obvious choice."
Depending on how the early part of the season goes, the back half of the year could turn into a developmental period for Duke and Diaz. Umeh could be one of the bright spots for the coaching staff to develop this year, and maybe give him more playing time in November.
At the end of the day, this Duke team isn't going to be competing for a national championship, but Diaz is building this team the right way through high school recruiting and development.
That could pay dividends during the next offseason, when Diaz can go after a quarterback in the transfer portal to help compete for the ACC in 2027. Next season, Umeh could make an even bigger impact on a CFP run.
