DURHAM – For the second time as Duke’s football coach, Mike Elko stood at a podium in Blue Devil Tower on Signing Day and talked about a sizable haul of recruits.

This time, though, Elko was talking about players who committed to him as coach of the Blue Devils rather than a class that was held together by the previous staff.

“It’s 26 kids that will forever be very special to me,” Elko said on Wednesday. “This will forever be the class that first committed to me as a head football coach, and so for the rest of my career, these guys will always be first.”

Duke’s first-year coach — and longtime defensive coordinator at various stops before that — also noted that each of the 26 commits pledged to his program before he coached a game. The last of them was defensive back DaShawn Stone, who committed Aug. 7.

In similar fashion, the Blue Devils’ class was wrapped up early Wednesday morning without much drama. All but one of the commits had been announced via Elko’s Twitter page by 8:10 a.m., and defensive back Moussa Kane made it 26-for-26 when he was announced at 8:32 a.m.

Locking up commitments from the class was key; so was holding onto them through the last several months.

“Probably both (were) just as challenging,” Elko said when asked if it was tougher to put the class together or hang onto to it for the last few months. “If you’re doing it right, you had to win recruiting battles to get them, and I certainly think we did for quite a few of these kids.

“And then obviously people evaluate who you’ve committed and people try to come in and steal them from you. I think it all came together the right way.”

There’s no naivete here; Duke’s success on the field provided an early, tangible look at what Elko wants to build at Duke.

“I think it was a lot of really good character kids who believed in what we were doing, and then saw a season this year that certainly illustrated what we were talking about was real,” Elko said.

Ten of the players will get a head start on being a part of the program as January enrollees. They are: quarterback Grayson Loftis, running backs Marquise Collins and Peyton Jones, wide receiver Apollos Cook, tight end Vance Bolyard, defensive linemen Desmond Aladuge and Semaj Turner, linebacker Luke Mergott, and defensive backs Quentin Ajiero and Kane.

Here is a breakdown of each signee, complete with player cards, positions, measurables and Elko’s takes:

Cornerback | 5-10, 170 | Acworth, Ga. (North Cobb)

Notable: Elko pointed out that last January on the second day of recruiting, he was at North Cobb and watched video of Ajiero, noting that shortly after that he got him on the phone to get the ball rolling.

Elko: “Quentin’s a really physical corner, I think he has elite twitch.”

Defensive end | 6-4, 250 | Milford, Del. (Milford)

Notable: Duke doesn’t currently have a player from Delaware on its roster.

Elko: “He had 31 sacks and 69 pressures in his high school career, so a guy who gives us a really strong presence at defensive end.”

Defensive end | 6-4, 280 | Hampton, Va. (Kecoughtan)

Notable: Had 18 sacks in his career, but missed his junior season with an injury. Impressed Duke’s staff at a camp over the summer.

Elko: “He’s an elite track athlete, won the state championship in the shotput, indoor and outdoor, in 2022.”

Defensive tackle | 6-4, 280 | Wartrace, Tenn. (Baylor School)

Notable: One of three players in this class who won a state championship this past season.

Elko: “We think he has really athletic twitch and explosiveness.”

Tight end | 6-4, 235 | Greensboro, N.C. (Northern Guilford)

Notable: Was a three-sport athlete, also playing basketball and lacrosse.

Elko: “We think he’s a dual-threat tight end, we think he can be an in-line blocker and we think he can be physical enough at the point of attack to do those things for us. But he’s also a really athletic kid who can create mismatches in the pass game.”

Receiver | 5-10, 195 | Virginia Beach, Va. (Kempsville)

Notable: Made significant contributions for his team not only as a receiver, but as a defensive back and punt returner, also.

Elko: “Just a tremendous athlete. Really physical, really tough kid. He’s going to start at receiver for us but just a really talented athlete.”

Receiver | 5-8, 160 | Winston-Salem, N.C. (East Forsyth)

Notable: In the last two seasons, combined for 93 catches, 1,977 yards and 43 touchdowns.

Elko: “He is an electric athlete. Finished fifth last year in the state 100-meter. … He’s a kid that just really jumps off the page with his electricity.”

Running back | 5-9, 190 | Bryan, Texas (College Station)

Notable: As you could’ve figured, Elko is familiar with Collins after coming from Texas A&M. Elko’s sons went to College Station High School. Collins had 4,582 all-purpose yards and 64 touchdowns in his first three seasons before a season-ending injury cost him his senior season.

Elko: “We expect to get him back and healthy and ready to roll.”

Wide receiver | 6-3, 215 | Lexington, S.C. (Airport)

Notable: His father (Andre Cook) was his high school coach. Another one who impressed Duke’s staff at camp over the summer.

Elko: “Extremely competitive, he’s a track athlete. A big-bodied receiver who can add an outside threat for us, go up and make contested catches.”

Offensive lineman | 6-6, 265 | White House, Tenn. (Ensworth School)

Notable: All-District basketball player, as well as being a football standout.

Elko: “A long, athletic kid, really projects as an offensive tackle and is a prototypical offensive tackle, for us.”

Tight end | 6-5, 220 | Saint-Lazare, Canada (Choate Rosemary Hall in Conn.)

Notable: Gives Duke’s class an international feel. Also means Duke’s tight end commits in this class are named Vince and Vance.

Elko: “We go up there in the spring and get one video of him running one route, catching one ball, and jumps off the tape. So we invite him down to camp, he comes down to camp and has a phenomenal camp for us.”

Safety | 5-11, 190 | Virginia Beach, Va. (Bayside)

Notable: Four-year track athlete in addition to football. Also served as a return specialist.

Elko: “Extremely athletic. … Is just really that rangy athlete that you want back there at the safety position.”

Safety | 6-1, 205 | Atlanta (Woodward Academy)

Notable: Duke was on him early, and he was at one of Duke’s first junior days last January.

Elko: “Probably projects more as that physical safety that can run the box and make a lot of tackles.”

Offensive lineman | 6-6, 285 | Hoover, Ala. (Hoover)

Notable: Could wind up playing guard or tackle. Also a basketball player, which Elko noted he and the staff like in offensive linemen.

Elko: “When you’re trying to project offensive lineman development at the college level, kids who played basketball, kids who have that athleticism and those physical traits, really transition well.”

Linebacker | 6-3, 200 | Gaithersburg, Md. (Quince Orchard)

Notable: Another one of the state champions, and his team was 28-0 with back-to-back Class 4-A state championships for the last two seasons.

Elko: “He’s a two-way player, was really explosive on both sides of the ball this year, he had 14 sacks and 13 touchdowns on offense.” (played tight end on offense)

Running back | 5-10, 190 | Norfolk, Va. (Maury)

Notable: Also had back-to-back runner-up finishes in the state playoffs, meaning both running backs of the class reached back-to-back state championship games.

Elko: “Peyton had 3,200 all-purpose yards and 34 touchdowns over the last two years. Two electric running backs that we’re adding to this program.”

Wide receiver | 6-4, 195 | Columbia, Md. (Our Lady of Good Counsel)

Notable: Is taller than any wide receiver set to be on Duke’s roster next season.

Elko: “Another kid who came down to camp and really athletic. Really athletic, tall kid. Can be an elite outside receiver, has great range to make big-body catches.”

Cornerback | 6-1, 190 | Harlem, N.Y. (Blair Academy, N.J.)

Notable: Two-time all-state honoree in New Jersey. And apparently is not somebody you want to play ping-pong against.

Elko: “We’re going to start him at corner, but I really think he projects at a lot of places in our back-4. Can play safety, can play nickel, really has a lot of flexibility with what he does.”

Bonus Elko: “He’s at a boarding school and don’t play ping-pong players at a boarding school.”

Quarterback | 6-3, 200 | Gaffney, S.C. (Gaffney)

Notable: Was the first commit of the class, all the way back on Jan. 24. Won a state championship in his junior season.

Elko: “As special as this class is, I think Grayson will be even more special for being the first captain of it. … He was the quarterback that we targeted from the day we got hired and really excited that he decided to stay part of this class.”

Offensive lineman | 6-2, 330 | Rutherfordton, N.C. (Chase)

Notable: Had 59 pancake blocks and while playing defense, recorded 63 tackles and six sacks.

Elko: “He’s a big-bodied guard who just moves people. He’s a massive human, extremely physical. We look at the demeanor we want from our offensive line, he certainly embodies it.”

Linebacker | 6-3, 215 | Berlin, Md. (Stephen Decatur)

Notable: In his final three seasons, had 154 tackles, 12 sacks and eight interceptions; with 95 catches for 1,357 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Elko: “Just tremendously athletic. Played a lot of defensive end, but we project him to play linebacker for us. We were able to see that from him in camp this year.”

Defensive end | 6-4, 220 | Easton, Md. (Easton)

Notable: In addition to being a three-sport athlete (basketball and lacrosse), played quarterback for his high school team.

Elko: “He’ll project as our drop, or hybrid D-end, outside linebacker for us.”

Cornerback | 5-10, 170 | Miramar, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas School)

Notable: Comes from a powerhouse program that won that state championships in the last two seasons, and was 28-1 in those seasons.

Elko: “A really explosive corner, could play nickel. Really dynamic cover skills.”

Defensive tackle | 6-2, 310 | Savannah, Ga. (Calvary Day School)

Notable: Elko couldn’t wait to rattle off his stats, with good reason; had 61 tackles for loss and 16 sacks in the last three seasons.

Elko: “He’s a kid who we think comes in as a ready-made nose guard who can help and contribute.”

Safety | 6-3, 190 | Asheville, N.C. (A.C. Reynolds)

Notable: One of five players from North Carolina, which Elko highlighted as a key objective to maintain some in-state recruiting base.

Elko: “Extremely physical. Like, when you watch his tape and you watch him run and hit people, we’re going to have to teach him not to target very quick because we’ve got to keep him in the football game.”

Defensive end | 6-3, 240 | Winston-Salem, N.C. (Reagan)

Notable: Went to the high school that Elko’s kids would have attended when he was defensive coordinator at Wake Forest (2014-16).

Elko: “Fits our defensive end position to a tee, really physical, can add pass rush to what we’re trying to do.”