Gerritt Kemp initially planned to commit on May 18th, his birthday, but decided to take at least one more official visit besides his scheduled trip to Duke on the weekend of June 7th. Consequently, the Dacula, GA native postponed his decision to allow for a visit to Ole Miss on May 31st before heading to Durham, NC with his family last weekend.
Despite the delay, Kemp stuck with his plan to commit to Duke, becoming the first wide receiver in their 2025 class. At 6’3″ and 185 pounds, Kemp’s athleticism and build suggest he could make an immediate impact at the college level. He received nearly twenty offers during his recruiting process, including from Georgia, Michigan State, and NC State. However, the effort from Duke’s coaches and the relationship they developed ultimately won him over.
“Every time I stepped on campus, I felt at home even before I was offered,” Kemp told TheDevilsDen.com before announcing his decision. “It really just gave me a sense of security on campus as well as the people there.”
Wide Receivers Coach Zohn Burden, who was retained from the previous staff, prioritized Kemp and made a strong connection with him.
“(Coach Burden) really connected with my younger brother as he has kids himself,” Kemp explained. “The letters I received from them weren’t just for me; there was always one for everyone in my family, which made us feel like we were adopted into their family.”
A couple of meetings with Manny Diaz, who took over as Duke’s head coach last December, ultimately sealed the deal.
“My second meeting with their head coach really made me feel wanted, and he made me and my family feel special, which is big for me as I love my family dearly. Their tenacity in my recruitment and their personnel made me feel wanted and confident that they had a plan for my future career.”
Now committed, Kemp will focus on performing at a high level for his high school and has taken extra classes this summer to ensure he can graduate early in December and enroll at Duke in January.
