{
  "id": 398467,
  "title": "Manny Diaz: Playing time in Duke secondary wide open",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/manny-diaz-playing-time-in-duke-secondary-wide-open",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-09T18:20:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/manny-diaz-playing-time-duke-182040634.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Last season, Duke's defense suffered from a glaring weakness in their secondary, allowing an alarming 276.8 passing yards per game, ranking 134th out of 136 teams in the FBS. Manny Diaz, the team's head coach, has made it abundantly clear that playing time in the secondary is up for grabs this year, with no jobs already claimed. Diaz and his coaching staff have bolstered the secondary with talent from the portal, including Che Ojarikre from Stanford, Dylan Flowers of Western Kentucky, and Kyon Loud from Montana, all of whom have a shot at securing a cornerback position. Ojarikre could potentially replace Chandler Rivers at the nickel back if Rivers departs to the NFL. At the safeties position, DaShawn Stone and Andrew Pellicciotta are returning, but they will face stiff competition from Patrick Smith-Young, who transferred from North Texas and Old Dominion, starting 25 games during his collegiate career. Like any competition, Diaz anticipates that there will be ups and downs over the next three weeks, but he believes that the players who consistently perform well will ultimately earn their spots on the field, particularly during their first game against Tulane.",
  "summary": "Duke head coach Manny Diaz stated that every position in the Blue Devils' secondary is open.",
  "key_points": [
    "Playing time in Duke's secondary is up for grabs this season.",
    "Three new cornerbacks join from Stanford, Western Kentucky, and Montana.",
    "Competition stiff among safeties, including Patrick Smith-Young."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}