Gulliver's Vernon commits to Duke

Duke University has landed one of Miami-Dade County's top football prospects each of the past two years.

It looks like they have a third.

Gulliver wide receiver Conner Vernon told The Miami Herald he has orally committed to the Blue Devils on Tuesday during a visit to the school.

''It's a school where I definitely can't go wrong academically,'' Vernon said in a phone interview. ``That was something important to me, plus what they're going to have on the field I think is going to turn Duke into an unbelievable place to be.''

If Vernon sticks to his commitment over the next six months, he will join former Gulliver teammate Donovan Varner, now a freshman at Duke, and former Hialeah-Miami Lakes star Thaddeus Lewis, who is entering his third season as the team's starting quarterback.

Vernon (6-1, 179), who has a 3.0 GPA, caught 38 passes for 634 yards and five touchdowns last season to lead the Raiders to the Class 2A playoffs. He is rated the No. 12 overall prospect in Dade by The Miami Herald, runs a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash and also has scholarship offers from Mississippi, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Troy and Wake Forest.

Vernon said he will visit Vanderbilt on Thursday, but believes he will remain committed to Duke.

''Duke's one of the best schools in the nation,'' Vernon said. ``Just sitting down with advisors I saw what they had to offer student-athletes and it sounded great. I'm sticking with them.''