Duke defensive back Ma'khi Jones enters NCAA transfer portal

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Duke defensive back Ma’khi Jones has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Jones goes in with a ‘Do not contract’ tag attached to him. Significant news for head coach Manny Diaz, seeing a key piece leave the program.

Jones played in all 14 games for Duke this season as a true freshman. He recorded 35 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, and one sack. Additional stats include both a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, plus one quarterback hurry and a pass breakup.

Unfortunately, there is some production that the Blue Devils need to replace on the back end of their secondary. A good chunk of eligibility remains for Jones as well. Given he just wrapped up his first year in Durham, the defensive back will have three years at his next stop.

Jones played high school football at Montvale (NJ) St. Joseph Regional, where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 1,501 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Ten other power conference schools offered Jones during his original recruitment. Penn State was among the top, hosting him on multiple visits. But in the end, Duke got Jones over the finish line.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Former Duke defensive back commits to Ohio State out of transfer portal

Former Duke defensive back Terry Moore has committed to Ohio State, via the NCAA Transfer Portal. Moore has one year of eligibility remaining.

Moore spent four seasons at Duke, but didn’t play in the 2025 campaign as he recovered from a torn ACL. Moore suffered the injury in Duke’s 2024 bowl game.

In the 2024 season, Moore started in all 13 of the Blue Devils’ games. He tallied 71 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six pass breakups, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack. For his efforts, he was named an All-ACC Second-Team selection. Additionally, Action Network named Moore a Second-Team All-American.

In total, Moore made 33 appearances for Duke over the course of three seasons. He amassed 116 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 12 passes defended, four interceptions and two forced fumbles.

On3’s Grant Grubs contributed to this report