How four Nashville-area high school football standouts ended up committing to Duke – Tennessean
A recurring theme emerged in all four of their college football commitment stories.
Knoxville native and Duke assistant Jeff Faris started the recruiting process and got them interested in the ACC school. They then fell in love with the program. The awe of playing for coach David Cutcliffe, who coached both Peyton and Eli Manning, helped close the deal.
And now, on Wednesday, four three-star prospects – Ravenwood’s Graham Barton, Mt. Juliet’s Malik Bowen, Cane Ridge’s Michael Reese and Shelbyville’s Gary Smith III – are expected to sign with the Blue Devils and play on a campus more than 500 miles away from home.
No other FBS school will have more Nashville-area players signing with its program this year during the early signing period, which runs Wednesday-Friday.
“(Faris) is the one that got me to go visit Duke and meet everyone else,” said Barton, an offensive lineman and No. 21 prospect in the state, according to the 247Sports Composite. “He’s so enthusiastic about Duke, and you can tell he’s a genuine guy.
“He’s a guy that means what he says. You could tell in talking to him that maybe there is something special up there and I should check it out. He has a genuine love between him and the recruits.”
Faris, a Knoxville Catholic alumnus, played at Duke and graduated in 2011.
Reese, who is Cane Ridge’s first Power 5 signee and No. 29 prospect in the state, was recruited evenly by Faris, the Blue Devils’ tight ends coach and offensive recruiting coordinator, and defensive line coach Ben Albert.
“They stay in constant communication with me,” Reese said. “They always texted me every week and saw how I was doing.
“It was very consistent.”
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That constant show of interest helped lead to Reese visiting the school.
Once there, it felt like home.
“It’s really a family,” said Bowen, a wide receiver and the No. 26 prospect in the state. “All the coaches make you feel welcome. There is good hospitality from Coach (David Cutcliffe) to the lowest equipment person.
“They all treat you the same and are just cool people to be around.”
Cutcliffe was the offensive coordinator for Peyton Manning at Tennessee. He was the head coach at Ole Miss when Eli Manning was quarterback. And he’s had plenty of success at Duke.
There is an obvious reminder of that success when a recruit walks into Cutcliffe’s office.
“Oh, it’s beautiful,” said Smith, a defensive lineman and the No. 41 prospect in the state. “He’s got rings and pictures of all the players that played for him that went to the NFL.
“It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ You know, he’s just a good dude.”
Added Barton, “You just know that this guy knows what he’s doing. He’s been doing it for 44 years. He’s a guy you can put all your trust into.”
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Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.
Published 6:01 AM EST Dec 16, 2019
