T.J. Rahming is Duke’s Next Star

By Matt Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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2015 receiver prospect T.J. Rahming has an outstanding chance to have a special career for the Duke Blue Devils.

When 2015 wide receiver prospect T.J. Rahming gave his verbal commitment to the Duke Blue Devils back in June prior to the start of his senior season, he was already widely considered to be an elite FBS prospect.

Before pledging to David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils, Rahming had garnered scholarship offers from over a dozen institutions, including California, Mississippi State and Tennessee.

It wasn’t until after his senior campaign, however, that his name would start to truly make a huge splash on the recruiting circuit.

Playing for powerhouse McEachern High School in Georgia, Rahming was able to distinguish himself as the top offensive weapon for an Indians squad that made it all the way to the semifinals of the playoffs at the AAAAAA classification. He finished his final season at the high school level with 70 receptions for 1,546 yards and 22 touchdowns, showing explosiveness both as a receiver and as a return specialist.

Though his recruiting ranking was not, at that time, considered to be elite, Rahming eventually earned an invitation to the prestigious US Army All-American Bowl in Texas thanks to his outstanding senior season and impressive performances in combine workouts.

Rahming more than made the most of his opportunity to showcase his skills on a national stage against the country’s elite prep competition as well. Despite being outshined in terms of name recognition by some of his teammates, Rahming was constantly praised as one of the top performers for the East squad throughout the week of practice.

That elite performance would carry over into the game itself too, as Rahming finished the game with a pair of electric touchdowns against a talented West defense.

“It was a great time there. It was fun to compete with the top guys around the nation in getting me ready for college,” Rahming commented of his All-American Bowl experience on the Southern Pigskin Radio Network. “Scoring two touchdowns was exciting for my family and for everyone back home that was watching.”

The natural byproduct of an exceptional year on the gridiron has been an increased amount of recruiting attention on top of what was already pretty significant exposure in the first place.

But even with a multitude of school attempting to lure him away from the verbal commitment he made to the Blue Devils back in June, Rahming has remained fully committed to Duke.

“The whole recruiting process has been a blessing,” Rahming said. “A bunch of schools have been calling, but I’m just happy it’s over. At Duke, everyone is a family, and the system is perfect for me. I’m 100 percent Duke Blue Devil.”

With Duke losing both of its top two wide receivers from this past fall, including the dynamic Jamison Crowder, Rahming will undoubtedly be given plenty of opportunity for compete for playing time as a true freshman.

At five-foot-nine, 150 pounds, Rahming actually has a style of play which many consider to be similar to the recently-departed Crowder.

“Right now, I would say that my biggest strengths are my speed and going up against defenders to gain separation on my route-running,” Rahming evaluated of his won game. “I still need to work on getting bigger, though, so I can hold up at the next level. I think it will be a great three or four years for me in that system.”

Nothing helps recruiting momentum more than winning games on the football field. And after two of the most successful seasons in program history in back-to-back years, the Blue Devils are finally starting to see that production bear fruit on the recruiting trail with the pickups of guys like Rahming.

He still might not have the name recognition as some of the other top prospects in the 2015 class, but Rahming will likely go on to make as big of an impact at the collegiate level than anybody in the country when he enrolls in Durham.

Duke fans, for certain, cannot wait.