The Duke Blue Devils have landed another weapon in the transfer portal by employing a familiar strategy.
The Duke Blue Devils have certainly enjoyed plucking weapons from the Ivy League in the transfer portal.
Last year, Duke landed Harvard wide receiver Cooper Barkate, who went on to post a 1,000-yard campaign for the Blue Devils in 2025. Then, earlier this month, Duke bagged former Pennsylvania receiver Jared Richardson, who logged 1,000 yards for the Quakers this past season.
Well, the Blue Devils have returned to the Ivy League well yet again, this time nabbing former Yale running back Wilhelm Daal in the transfer portal, the team has announced.
Daal spent the first four years of his collegiate career with the Bulldogs, but he didn't begin receiving significant playing time until this past season, when he rushed for 439 yards and a couple of touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
A fifth-year senior, Daal has one year of eligibility remaining and could ultimately serve as a key piece in Duke's backfield behind star halfback Nate Sheppard.
Daal marks the second running back the Blue Devils have landed in the transfer portal this winter, as they also bagged former Florida Atlantic and Rutgers back CJ Campbell.
Duke Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz. Credit: Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Duke lost both Anderson Castle — who racked up 12 rushing touchdowns in 2025 — and Jaquez Moore to graduation this offseason, so Manny Diaz needed to find some more depth behind Sheppard.
Now that the Blue Devils have managed to add a pair of halfbacks, it looks like Diaz's work is done at that position in the portal.
Sheppard was one of the most dynamic freshmen in the country this past season, racking up 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns on 5.7 yards per attempt while also catching 37 passes for 286 yards and a score.
Duke boasted a dynamic offense in 2025 thanks to Sheppard and quarterback Darian Mensah, riding it to a 9-5 record, an ACC championship (its first since 1962) and a Sun Bowl victory over Arizona State.
In spite of the Blue Devils' newfound success, however, they have still struggled to land significant pieces in the transfer portal overall this offseason, so clearly, the program is still a work in progress.
Diaz has gone 18-9 over his first two campaigns at Durham.