Charlotte, NC – Sophomore quarterback Grayson Loftis, graduate student wide receiver Jordan Moore, redshirt sophomore quarterback Maalik Murphy, redshirt junior offensive lineman Justin Pickett and redshirt senior safety Jaylen Stinson will represent Duke at the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff, July 22-25, at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Monday the 59 student-athletes who have been chosen by its 17 league schools to attend the main preseason event. Duke, along with Boston College, Louisville, Miami and Wake Forest will hold its media availability at the kickoff Wednesday, July 24.
ACC Network will broadcast live from the ACC Football Kickoff. The four days of expansive coverage will begin at 9 a.m. each day and will provide the event’s most robust television coverage to date. In addition to ACCN’s coverage, there will be a special edition of ACC Huddle on Monday, July 22, at 8 p.m. that will air on ESPN2.
Loftis played in eight games, including starting the final five contests for Duke last season during his rookie campaign. He completed 91-of-163 (.558) passes for 1,006 yards with eight touchdowns against four interceptions and rushed 20 times for 17 yards (0.85) with one score. The Gaffney, South Carolina, native has recorded 200-plus yards of total offense in two games and accounted for multiple touchdowns in three games. Additionally, he enters 2024 having recorded six pass completions of 30-plus yards in his young career.
Moore, a two-year starter at wide receiver, returns for the Blue Devils after earning Second Team All-ACC honors just a season ago. In 36 career games (24 starts), the Sykesville, Maryland, native has registered 122 receptions for 1,491 yards (12.22) with 13 touchdowns and rushed 52 times for 256 yards (4.92) with three touchdowns. Last year, Moore teamed with wide receiver Jalon Calhoun to make Duke one of three ACC schools with two players with 665-plus receiving yards, joining Miami and Virginia. Additionally, he is one of 18 Duke players to amass a rushing touchdown, receiving touchdown and a touchdown pass during their Duke tenure.
Murphy is in his first year with the Blue Devils after transferring from the University of Texas during the spring. In seven career games (2 starts), with the Longhorns, Murphy has registered 40-of-71 (.563) pass attempts for 477 yards with three touchdowns against three interceptions. The Inglewood, California, native has recorded five passes of 20-plus yards, including a career-high 47-yard pass and 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Adonai Mitchell against Kansas State in 2023. He enters 2024 with a 2-0 record as a starting quarterback with victories over BYU and Kansas State.
Pickett returns to Duke for his fourth year and second consecutive as a starter along the offensive line. He has seen action in 24 career games (10 starts), and has played 832 snaps. Last year playing at both left and right guard, the Carmel, Indiana, native helped the offense accumulate 2,174 rushing and 2,351 passing yards as well as 26 rushing touchdowns. He helped anchor an offensive line that ranked third in the ACC and tied for 24th nationally in sacks allowed per game (1.31) and second in the league and tied for 31st nationally in tackles for loss allowed per outing (4.77).
Stinson, a two-year starter at safety, returns to Duke for his fifth year after compiling 217 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, three interceptions, 10 pass breakups, one caused fumble, three fumble recoveries, one quarterback pressure and one muffed punt recovery for a touchdown in 49 career games (31 starts). He has added 66 kickoff returns for 1,553 yards (23.53) with two scores. Last season, the Opelika, Alabama, native teamed with linebacker Tre Freeman to make Duke one of three schools in the ACC with two players with 85-plus tackles, joining North Carolina and Syracuse.
The five Blue Devils will be joined at the event by head coach Manny Diaz, who enters his first season at the helm of the Duke program.
Duke’s 2024 season opener is slated for Friday, August 30 when it welcomes Elon to Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
Season tickets for the upcoming season may be purchased online at goduke.com/footballtix or by calling the Duke Athletics Ticket Office at 919-681-BLUE (2583).
For more information on Duke Football, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching “DukeFOOTBALL”.
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu.