Duke football transfer tracker: DL Aeneas Peebles staying in ACC. Who else is on the move?
Duke’s players got a one-week head start on the transfer portal thanks to Mike Elko resigning as Duke’s coach to take the same job at Texas A&M on Nov. 27.
So while the NCAA transfer portal opened for all college football players on Dec. 4, some Blue Devils already had their names in due to the coaching change.
Quarterback Riley Leonard highlights the list as he and defensive end RJ Oben are both heading to Notre Dame. Defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles, a Raleigh native who played a Knightdale High School, announced Monday he is heading to Virginia Tech.
So, too, did running back Jordan Waters, who is not only staying in the ACC, but in the Triangle to play for N.C. State.
One player who entered the portal while the coaching situation was in flux decided to stay with the Blue Devils. Junior Jaquez Moore is second on the Blue Devils with 601 yards, along with six touchdowns, this season.
He removed his name from the NCAA Transfer Portal on Dec. 11, two days after Duke introduced Manny Diaz as the program’s new head coach.
This list will be updated when any other Duke players enter their names in the portal, and any players who commit to joining the Blue Devils will also be added.
Outgoing transfers
Riley Leonard, quarterback: Instantly became a hot commodity nationally once he entered his name in the transfer portal. Leonard was behind only Florida State’s Jordan Travis and North Carolina’s Drake Maye among ACC quarterbacks before a sprained ankle on his right foot and a turf toe on his left foot cut his season short. As expected, Leonard is heading to Notre Dame.
Aeneas Peebles, defensive tackle: A Raleigh native, Peebles tied for Duke’s lead this season with 8.5 tackles for loss (matching safety Brandon Johnson’s total). Peebles recorded four sacks in the regular season. He’ll play his final season in the ACC with Virginia Tech.
RJ Oben, defensive end: Duke’s team leader in sacks (5.0) this season, Oben also recorded an additional six quarterback hurries as he became a force off the edge for the Blue Devils’ defense. Joining Leonard at Notre Dame.
Charlie Ham, kicker: Duke’s kickoff specialist the past two seasons after Todd Pelino took over extra-point and field-goal kicking for the Blue Devils. During his Duke career, Ham made 36 of 50 (72%) field goals and 91 of 93 (97.8%) of his PAT kicks.
Jaden Watkins, cornerback: After enrolling at Duke in January 2022, saw action in one game over the past two seasons for the Blue Devils. A standout wide receiver at the Asheville School, Watkins moved to cornerback last summer.
Jordan Waters, running back: Emerged as one of the ACC’s top running backs this season, leading Duke with 753 yards and 12 touchdowns. Having already graduated from Duke in May 2023, Waters has one season of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic waiver for the 2020 season. He will use it with the Wolfpack.
Dorian Mausi, linebacker: In 10 games this season for the Blue Devils, Mausi recorded 61 tackles as a starting linebacker. That included 3.5 tackles for losses. He also intercepted a pass.
Jaylen Stinson, safety: Duke’s second-leading tackler this season with 82 stops (37 solo), the 5-8 Stinson packs a punch from the secondary in the running game. He also broke up five passes. Having played in 11 games in 2020 as a true freshman, Stinson has one season of eligibility remaining.
Malik Bowen-Sims, wide receiver: Caught 13 passes during his four seasons playing as a reserve for the Blue Devils. Plans to use his final season of eligibility at Austin Peay, where former Duke offensive coordinator Jeff Faris is the new head coach.
Brandon Johnson, safety: Another starter for the Blue Devils who will use his final season at another school. An in-state product from Newton-Conover High School, Johnson logged 56 tackles this season for the Blue Devils. He was effective as a blitzer as well, logging 8.5 tackles for losses. He also had two sacks and three quarterback hurries.
This story was originally published December 4, 2023 at 1:05 PM with the headline "Duke football transfer tracker: DL Aeneas Peebles staying in ACC. Who else is on the move?."