He added the offer in the spring, returned for camp in June and then for another unofficial visit to wrap up July.
Now, as August begins, Ayden Cain has seen enough to commit to the Duke Blue Devils.
The McDonough (Ga.) Dutchtown standout defender, who has experience inside and out, went public with his selection on Friday. He picked Duke over double-digit tenders his way, largely coming in this year.
"First off, academically, Duke is a top five program in that aspect," Cain told Rivals. "I know Duke will set me up for life after football. From the football aspect, it's a top team in the country every year.
"I connect with all of the coaches and people all four times I visited. I can be myself around everyone. Lastly, I can see myself playing early! Coach (Manny) Diaz said he sees me as special leader and captain at Duke."
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Diaz's defensive staff has lofty expectations for the newest Blue Devil.
"I fit in their scheme of how they play up front, especially for a 6’1 6’2 DL," Cain said. "They’re very real. They have no filter in a sense they open up to you, they never lie about anything and they always say, 'I’m not recruiting you because that’s not what it’s going be like when you get here.'
"Their goal is to help you improve and get better not really recruit. And I feel some of the best DL coaches in the country are there and they're definitely genuine. They’ve seen a lot in life and they to help me grow as a person not just player!"
The goals early on in Durham are high for Cain, too.
"What I will bring to Duke is a great man that will represent Duke on and off the field," he said. "And on the field a straight dawg that’s smart, fast, physical and technical."
