Senior RB Eli Dukes from Palma of Salinas leads team onto field during game last year. He ranks as one of top RBs in California, but has been hampered early this season with injury. Photo: Instagram.com.
From attending the football practices his father coached and anxiously waiting this season for his own opportunity to put on the pads due to a pulled hamstring, Eli Dukes from Palma High of Salinas has built his career on competition, hard work and the support of his family. Dukes entered his senior season with 5,683 career rushing yards and 71 rushing touchdowns and still may have time after his injury heals to move up on several all-time state lists. He also helped Palma win a CIF Division 4-A state championship as a freshman and received several Division I offers before committing to UC Davis.
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Athletics & Family
Although Eli Dukes had never played tackle football before entering Palma High in Salinas, the sport was always a major part of his life. “My family is definitely a football family,” he said. “My older brothers played it, and my dad is a coach. I remember going to my dad’s practices when I was younger and just being anxious for my turn to put on the pads.”
Eli’s father, Rick Dukes, played linebacker at UC Davis and is now part of Palma’s coaching staff. Eli is the sixth of eight children and comes from a family filled with athletes. His brother Austin Wahl played football and baseball at Cornell before being drafted by the Oakland Athletics, while his brother Tristan Wahl played lacrosse at Florida State. Before tackle football, Eli played soccer, baseball, flag football and lacrosse. Soccer was the sport he played the most, and he believes the footwork and conditioning he developed helped prepare him to become a running back. “Growing up was mostly sports every day, whether it was playing or watching it,” he said.
Palma head coach Jeff Carnazzo also has a long history with the Dukes family. He coached Eli’s older brothers, is friends with his father and has watched Eli grow up around Palma’s football program. “I have watched Eli grow up, not just during his four years on our varsity team, but for most of his life,” Carnazzo said. “I coached his older brothers, his father is a good friend and a member of my coaching staff, and Eli has been involved in our Next Level Flag Football program since kindergarten.” Today, Dukes gives back to that same program as a coach and role model for younger athletes from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Dukes credits his family, friends and community with teaching him the importance of hard work and being selfless. His family has driven him hours away for practices and games, paid for tournaments and provided him with opportunities that he knows not every young athlete receives. “They have provided me with experiences that most people aren’t able to have and I’m so grateful for that,” Dukes said. “My family has always supported me no matter what and it’s such a relief to know no matter what, your family will always be there.”
Dukes has committed to UC Davis (where his father played) and did have offers from both Cal and Stanford. Photo: @PCAL_Football / X.com.
A Fast Rise at Palma
Dukes did not need much time to adjust to tackle football. As a freshman in 2023, he helped Palma overcome three forfeited victories and complete a memorable run to the CIF Division 4-A state championship. He saved one of his best performances for the biggest game of the season, rushing for 212 yards and four touchdowns in Palma’s 42-19 victory over Mission Oak of Tulare that earned the school with many CIF Central Coast Section titles with its first CIF state title.
“That day had to be one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Dukes said. “Starting that year with the forfeited games to winning state was such a roller-coaster ride. Before the game I was nervous, of course, but it was a good, excited nervous. These are the moments that I prepared and worked so hard for. As soon as I took my first carry of that game, the nerves went away and it was just back to playing football. When we won that game, it was a feeling I couldn’t describe. We had just made history and sent off our seniors the best way possible.”
That freshman season gave Dukes more confidence, but it also brought higher expectations. Instead of allowing the pressure to negatively affect him, he used it as motivation. “After my freshman year I definitely came into my sophomore year more confident,” he explained. “With that, though, came the expectations and pressure. I definitely felt a lot of it, but I loved it. I love the pressure and expectations because that pushed me to get better every day. I want all the pressure and feed off of that. I believe it makes me a better player.”
Dukes followed his freshman season by rushing for 2,034 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore. He became even more productive as a junior, rushing for 2,420 yards and 34 touchdowns on 221 carries. He also caught 13 passes from 305 yards and three touchdowns. His performance helped Palma finish 11-1 and earned him Gabilan Division MVP honors. Carnazzo, who has spent 27 years as a head coach, does not hesitate when discussing where Dukes ranks among the running backs he has coached or competed against.
“In my 27 years as a head coach, Eli is the best runner I have seen,” Carnazzo said. “I have coached many outstanding running backs, but he is on another level. His combination of vision, balance, acceleration, strength and competitiveness is extremely rare. He can run away from defenders, make people miss in space, break tackles and turn a play that appears to be contained into a touchdown.”
One moment that stands out to Carnazzo came against Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco in the opening round of the 2024 Central Coast Section playoffs. Sacred Heart Cathedral moved the ball effectively on its opening drive before Dukes ripped the ball away from a running back and forced a turnover. A few plays later, he broke free for a long touchdown run. Dukes finished with 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Palma’s 28-19 victory. “Within minutes, he had completely changed the momentum of the game, first on defense and then on offense,” Carnazzo said. “That sequence perfectly illustrates his competitiveness and his ability to impact every phase of a football game.”
The Work Behind the Success
What everyone sees from Dukes on Friday nights is only a fraction of the work he puts into football throughout the week. Palma holds morning workouts on Mondays and Wednesdays. Since Dukes lives approximately 45 minutes from school, he usually wakes up around 4:45 a.m. to arrive for workouts at 6:15. “During the week I usually just try and stay hydrated throughout the day,” Dukes said. “On game days, as a team we have Mass in the morning. Then after school, a bunch of the guys and I get Subway and relax, maybe take a nap at a friend’s house before we have to be back at school and ready to play.”
Eli’s schedule does not become much easier when football season ends. Dukes attends morning workouts three days per week during the offseason and continues competing in other sports. He plays football, soccer and lacrosse and also runs track for Palma. He believes competing in multiple sports keeps him from becoming burned out by football while also helping him physically. “I think competitive sports are the best training there is because then I’m always under pressure,” Dukes said. “Like I said before, that always makes me better.”
Carnazzo, who started the season with 230 career wins since the 2000 season, also sees how each sport contributes to Dukes’ success.
Track has improved his speed, soccer has helped his footwork and conditioning, and lacrosse has developed his toughness and ability to operate in open space. More than anything, Dukes simply enjoys competing. “I think it’s important because it allows me to never be burned out of football, as well as it benefits me physically,” Dukes said. “I think a lot of things in those sports translate to football. I just love competing and in all the sports it’s just another way of me competing.”
Carnazzo believes Dukes’ work ethic is what truly separates him from other talented players. “It is second to none,” he said. “He works on his craft every day. Everything he does, the sports he plays, his conditioning, his recovery and even the food he puts into his body, is dedicated to becoming a better football player.”
That same competitiveness has made Dukes’ current hamstring injury especially difficult. A Grade 2 strain has forced him to miss games for the first time in his career. “It’s been really hard mentally to watch my team play knowing I should be out there,” Dukes said. “I’m doing everything I can to get back and ready to go, but this has definitely been the hardest. I’ve been hurt before, but it was never an injury that prevented me from playing.”
Dukes wants to return immediately (this story was edited on Sept. 18 and he didn’t play in Palma’s easy win last Friday vs Monterey), but Carnazzo and Palma’s coaches are making sure he is fully healthy first. “This is the first time in his career that he has missed a game, and he is attacking his rehabilitation with uncommon effort,” Carnazzo said. “He wants to return immediately, but we are being smart and making sure he is fully healed. Needless to say, he is not always happy with me because he believes he is ready to play. That determination is part of what makes him great.”
Despite the injury and missed games, Eli still seems to have a good shot at breaking the CIF Central Coast Section all-time career rushing record of 6,214 yards set in 2014 by Trevor Bearden from Live Oak of Morgan Hill.
Dukes was the only sophomore RB in the state who rushed for 2,000 yards or more in 2024. Photo: @PCAL_Football / X.com.
Following a Family Path
Dukes received his first college offer from UC Davis during his sophomore year. Offensive coordinator Paul Shelton met with him at school and explained that the Aggies liked his film but normally did not offer sophomores. One day later, Carnazzo called Dukes in for another meeting during lunch, where Shelton was waiting on the phone with different news.
“They told me they rewatched my film and, after meeting with me, they liked me so much that they were going to break their rule and offer me as a sophomore, which they had never done before,” Dukes said. “I immediately started smiling and was so excited. It made me finally feel like all my hard work was starting to pay off.” The first people he told were his parents before later sharing the news with his friends.
More offers followed such as those from Cal, Stanford and Oregon State, but UC Davis remained involved throughout his recruitment. Dukes developed a close relationship with the coaching staff, and his official visit helped confirm his decision. “I had been in contact with the UC Davis coaches for the longest and just got to grow and get super comfortable with them,” Dukes said. “It was a really hard decision. It was really close, but I think after my official visit with them, that’s what hooked me. The program is on such a positive trajectory. It’s a chance to make history and I want to be a part of that.”
The opportunity will also allow Dukes to follow part of his father’s path by playing football at UC Davis. Carnazzo believes his vision, acceleration, balance, toughness and ability to create yards after contact will translate well to the college level. His ability to contribute as a runner, receiver and defensive player also gives him additional versatility. Most importantly, Carnazzo believes Dukes’ work ethic will help him adjust to the increased speed and demands of college football.
Goals, Academics and Life Off the Field
Dukes understands football will not last forever. He plans to use the sport as an opportunity to receive a strong education and prepare for the rest of his life. His motivation in the classroom comes largely from his mother, who has a doctorate in sociology and places education above athletics. “My mom is a very educated woman,” Dukes said. “She makes sure I’m on top of my schoolwork and values education more than anything else sports-related.”
During his junior year, Dukes took seven classes, including five Advanced Placement courses, while also competing in four sports. “Balancing academics with sports can be hard,” he said. “Some nights I just have to stay up and do work or figure out a way to balance sleep and schoolwork.”
Dukes plans to study engineering at UC Davis. He is considering mechanical, civil or agricultural engineering but has not decided which area he will choose. “I like engineering because I like knowing how things work and creating machines,” he said. “I know I don’t want to be in an office all day, so I like the idea of being hands-on. Engineering degrees also offer a wide variety of jobs that I could do and I like that.”
Away from football, Dukes enjoys spending time with his friends, family and girlfriend. He also enjoys surfing, going to the lake, hunting, lifting and working out. Carnazzo has watched Dukes develop from a naturally gifted athlete into a complete football player who understands preparation, discipline and responsibility. He also has watched him grow into an excellent student who knows there is a much bigger future beyond football.
“He knows football may be part of his life for a long time, but he also understands that it will eventually end,” Carnazzo said. “He wants to use football to earn a great education and prepare himself for the rest of his life.”
When his time at Palma ends, Dukes hopes people remember more than his rushing yards, touchdowns and accomplishments. “I hope they remember me as a person you can rely on and a person who will help you,” Dukes said. “I want them to remember me as a person who always works hard and will always be there for a friend.”
Isai Gutierrez started an internship at CalHiSports.com in January of 2025 and is a student studying communications at Cal State Stanislaus. He graduated from Modesto Junior College in May. He graduated in 2024 from Sierra High in Manteca.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
