Duke has turned a corner on the recruiting trail

Duke head coach David Cutcliffe indirectly thanked Johnny Manziel for his team's recent recruiting success.

Cutcliffe still points back to Dec. 31, 2013, when the Blue Devils fell by four in a shootout with a Manziel-led Texas A&M squad, according to Matt Fortuna of ESPN. Playing against the former Heisman Trophy-winner and national sensation in his final collegiate contest put Duke football in the national spotlight.

"I can go back to pinpoint all the way back to playing Texas A&M in a great slot, national television slot on New Year's Eve, where so many people saw us," Cutcliffe told ESPN.

The result?

Nearly 16 months later, the Blue Devils have 10 commitments from the 2016 recruiting class. Their current haul ranks among the ACC's best and has put them on the national radar for next February's signing day.

For that, Duke unofficially thanks its unofficial recruiting coordinator, Johnny Football.

(h/t ESPN)

Photo Credit: Mark Dolejs/USA TODAY Sports