GRAD TRANSFER: Ryan Wilson to Duke

Earlier today, Duke announced that Ryan Wilson, a Division Three megastar in the middle distance events, has signed with the Blue Devils as a graduate transfer. The Stride Report has been informed that Wilson will have one year of indoor track eligibility and one year of outdoor track eligibility remaining for the 2023-24 academic calendar.

Wilson has evolved into one of the greatest Division Three middle distance runners ever -- and maybe even the greatest of all-time. The now-former MIT ace holds personal bests of 1:46.61 (800), 3:40.06 (1500), 3:55.29 (mile) and 8:05.29 (3k).

The soon-to-be Blue Devil star holds Division Three records for the indoor 800 meters, the indoor mile and the outdoor 1500 meters. He also sits at NCAA #4 all-time for the outdoor 800 meters, although his indoor PR makes him the fastest D3 runner to ever contest that event, regardless of season.

He is the only D3 runner in NCAA history to run under 1:47 (800) while in season.

Wilson is a five-time individual D3 national champion, most recently winning double gold at the outdoor national meet in the 1500 meters and the 800 meters. He is also a two-time All-American on the grass, finishing as high as 5th place at the D3 NCAA XC Championships this past fall.

While not one of our first guesses, the Duke men feel like a comfortable fit for this still-rising juggernaut star. After all, the Blue Devils' coaching staff has been unafraid to recruit out of the Division Three realm in recent years, recently adding names such as Tyler Morris (joining the team this fall) and Matyas Csiki-Fejer (out of eligibility).

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However, more importantly, Duke has been instrumental in the rise of Nick Dahl, a fellow mile-centric star with strong range who came from an academic powerhouse in the northeast (Yale) as a graduate transfer. And while they aren't a perfect one-to-one comparison, it feels like Wilson will be someone who the Duke coaches have seen and developed before.

Dahl is now out of eligibility and will be leaving the program. In turn, he was expected to leave a significant gap in the Blue Devils' roster. Luckily, Wilson's future introduction to this team feels like a perfect passing of the torch which can make up for some of that lost talent.

But what Wilson can offer that Dahl couldn't is nationally competitive speed, specifically in the 800 meters. Running 1:46 for the half-mile distance on the indoor oval, while also holding the potential to go faster, gives the Duke men some lineup flexibility for meets like the ACC Championships where they need to score points.

Not only that, but the ACC is a conference that has become incredibly deep over 800 meters, making it necessary to have someone like Wilson if you want to score points in that event.

And given that a few men on this roster are showing subtle signs of promise, the idea that Wilson could be a home run-hitter on a Duke DMR seems plenty realistic.