Duke landed a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Bryce Davis on Sunday after he flipped from Clemson. If Davis signs with the Blue Devils, he will become the program’s top recruit in the 247Sports era.
Davis is a 6-foot-3. 245-pound star for Grimsley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina, which is only about an hour from Duke’s campus in Durham. Davis is the No. 64 overall player and No. 3 player from the state in the Top247 rankings for the Class of 2025..
Davis could fit in with Duke either at the edge or as an interior lineman, depending on how his body fills out.
“Ceiling might be highest as an edge defender given how he creates pressure, but has some experience operation out of a three-point stance and could very well settle in as more of an interior option after a year or two in a college weight room,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote. “Must keep progressing, but should be viewed as a future impact player at the (Power Four) level given the combination of his explosive tendencies and growth potential.”
Davis had offers from nearly all the nation’s top programs, but committed to Clemson on July 20. Georgia and South Carolina were in hot pursuit, but Duke was a close second in his recruitment. The Blue Devils continued to recruit Davis after he committed. Davis’ primary recruiter was defensive ends coach Harland Bower, who stayed with the program between the transition from Mike Elko to Manny Diaz.
Major addition for Blue Devils defense
Diaz has been regarded as a strong recruiter in the past, but Davis is a foundational piece for his program on defense. His addition pushes Duke’s recruiting class from No. 44 to No. 33 nationally, and No. 6 in the ACC with 25 commitments.
Davis told 247Sports over the summer that the opportunity of being “the guy” at Duke and teaming up with former blue-chip quarterback Maalik Murphy intrigued him. Duke is in the midst of a period of historic success after winning 16 games in two seasons under Elko. Diaz also led Miami to three straight bowl appearances before a stint at Penn State as DC.
“My parents love the academics there,” Davis said. “With my mom being an educator and my dad being a police officer, they always preach to me the student-athlete. The student piece always comes first.”
Loss for Clemson
With the loss of Davis, Clemson slipped a spot to No. 14 behind Michigan in the 247Sports team rankings. That said, the Tigers have three defensive line and edge players rated higher than Davis in the class. That includes Isaiah Campbell, the No. 2 player from North Carolina, one spot above Davis.
Defensive line has rarely been a concern for Clemson in the last decade. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Clemson had three defensive linemen selected, including second round defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro. It’s unquestionably frustrating to lose a top recruit from the Carolinas to a conference foe, but Clemson should have plenty of options to replace Davis.
