Blue Devils Bolt for Hybrid TE Luke Karby
The Duke football program has been busy securing recruits for 2027 under coach Manny Diaz. After hosting several high-profile prospects on campus, the Blue Devils landed a pledge from Karby, a versatile 6′3″, 215-pound tight end from Mission Viejo, Calif. Rated No. 1,357 nationally and holding offers from several Pac-12 and Group of Five schools, Karby sped up his official visit to commit to Duke. He becomes the program’s 11th commit and the second tight end in a class already featuring four-star Parker Newman. Karby credits Duke’s blend of academic prestige and player development for his decision and has shut down future visits to focus solely on Durham.
Who knew a three-star tight end from sunny California could feel so at home in Durham? It seems Manny Diaz has recruited more than just satellite scouting profiles—he’s recruiting future TED Talk speakers who can probably analyze your workout stats while reciting Chaucer. Karby’s excitement over “developing as a person and a player” hints that he’ll spend equal time with weight racks in Wallace Wade Stadium and philosophy texts in Perkins Library. Stay tuned for his inevitable breakout season, in which he’ll most likely score touchdowns and sonnets simultaneously.
Scheyer’s Staff Welcomes a Spreadsheet Wizard and a Sideline Sage
Duke men’s basketball head coach Jon Scheyer revamped his support crew for 2026–27, adding KJ Conklin as assistant coach and Alexander Powell as Executive Director of Basketball. Conklin brings a resume that runs the gamut from JUCO offensive coordinator to NBA G League player development guru. Powell arrives with NBA analytics chops, having led quantitative analysis for the Hornets and driven innovation in Portland. Scheyer praised Conklin’s relationship-building and Powell’s knack for turning data into action, expecting both hires to boost player growth, opponent scouting, and on-court strategy.
Nothing says “college hoops” like hiring an Excel ninja and a former G League dad-bod coach. Scheyer has clearly decided that the best way to beat opponents is to outnumber them not just on the court but in spreadsheets. Conklin will likely spend his days demonstrating defensive rotations with PowerPoint animations, while Powell crafts inscrutable charts destined to confuse even the stat geeks. Meanwhile, players will pretend to understand what “data-informed insights” actually mean as they perfect their motion-offense against imaginary algorithms.
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