Duke’s headline-grabbing offseason continues.

On the heels of a season cut short by COVID-19 and the subsequent ruling by the NCAA to allow extra eligibility for impacted spring athletes, the Blue Devils have been active in the transfer portal.

John Danowski has reportedly snatched up Michael Sowers (Princeton) as well as goalkeeper Mike Adler (Saint Joseph’s), faceoff specialist Dan O’Connell (Holy Cross) and attackman Phil Robertson (Princeton). He’s also bringing back a familiar face.

According to a source, JT Giles-Harris is “expected to be at Duke all of next year,” though nothing is official as of now. The 2019 USILA first-team All-American defenseman was pursuing opportunities to play football as a fifth year during the fall season, but that will apparently not be the case as a result of the eligibility waiver.

The source does “not anticipate him playing football at Duke as of now.”

Others in similar situations, like Dox Aitken of Virginia and Jared Bernhardt of Maryland, will take advantage of a quirky rule that allows them to play at another university before returning to their undergraduate institution for the spring. Aitken will play football at Villanova, and Bernhardt will play football at Ferris State.

Giles-Harris was the subject of a feature story by US Lacrosse Magazine Gary Lambrecht in the March 2020 edition, a profile which highlighted his football aspirations. Once a standout cornerback who was exploring D-I opportunities before college, Giles-Harris actually decommitted from Duke to consider low D-I football offers. He eventually recommitted.

In 64 career games (63 starts) at Duke, Giles-Harris has established himself as one of the top defenders in the country. He’s accumulated 113 ground balls and 70 caused turnovers as the backbone of the team’s defense.

His return to Duke brings even more prominence to an already loaded roster, which will also feature top incoming recruit Brennan O’Neill, Joe Robertson, Dyson Williams and others.