Progress.
Duke has made tremendous progress on the gridiron and on the recruiting trail just since 2012, when it reached the postseason for the first time since 1994. Since then, head coach David Cutcliffe has led his team to back-to-back bowl appearances and a rare appearance in the ACC Championship. With so many successes during the past three seasons and the fact that many of the players who personified the rise of Duke football are gone, it’s not out of the question to wonder if 2015 will be the year when the program’s rise begins to level off.
But there is too much talent, experience and confidence on this year’s squad for the Blue Devils to take a step back. With another favorable schedule, a number of key players returning on both sides of the football and several prized recruits hitting the field this season, Duke could do more than reach nine or more wins for the third straight season, with a chance to squeak out another appearance in December’s ACC Championship.
Following the graduation of some of the best players in program history such as wide receiver Jamison Crowder and offensive guard Laken Tomlinson, it would be easy to emphasize the notion that the Blue Devils do not have the athletes to replace All-America-type talent. But Duke actually returns a number of key players from last year’s squad.
Safety Jeremy Cash postponed his NFL career to return to Durham and will be one of the best safeties in the country this season. His teammate, DeVon Edwards, also returns to the secondary and might be one of the most underrated defensive players in the nation. The duo will be joined by third-year starters Breon Borders and Deondre Singleton in a secondary that has the potential to become one of the best in the ACC and make up for a lack of size up front—even with starting cornerback Bryon Fields lost for the season due to injury.
On the offensive end, the Blue Devils will benefit from a new face under center, redshirt junior Thomas Sirk. Although two-year starter Anthony Boone was the winningest quarterback in program history, he struggled with accuracy and consistency, only completing 56.3 percent of his passes last season. Before Sirk sustained an Achilles injury in early 2013, he was pushing Boone in spring camp for the quarterback job.
From the praise he has received from players and coaches, Sirk is not only ready to take over the starting job, but could even become one of the surprise players in the ACC this season. Cutcliffe has said that Sirk might be the fastest and most athletic quarterback he has ever coached, making him a threat all over the field. The Glen St. Mary, Fla., native is surrounded with a solid offensive line and will have experienced weapons in the backfield with Shaquille Powell and Shaun Wilson. Through the air, Sirk should benefit from the return of Braxton Deaver at tight end and the consistent play of senior wide receiver Max McCaffrey. There are a number of receivers, including Johnell Barnes, Chris Taylor and T.J. Rahming, who could make a splash with their speed to emerge as dangerous playmakers just in time for the ACC slate.
The Blue Devils added a wealth of talent on the recruiting trail during the past three years, and we are finally seeing these players mature on the field, meaning they will see valuable playing time this season. Although Duke will have less experience at key positions this year, the program has recruited bigger, faster and stronger athletes. Rahming has seen first-team reps throughout fall camp at wide receiver and we will also get to see a number of former top prospects play for the first time this season, such as Taylor, Trevon Lee, Marquies Price, Ben Humphries and Edgar Cerenord.
Duke also stands to gain from another easy schedule in which it avoids conference powerhouses Florida State, Clemson and Louisville. The Blue Devils still have to face Miami, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech this season, but two of those games are at home. Duke should win games against relatively weak non-conference opponents and ACC games against Boston College, Virginia and Wake Forest.
The Coastal Division has been unstable in the past few seasons, with the division winner finishing with two losses during the past two years. Inconsistent play marred teams such as Miami, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and North Carolina in 2014, evening out the division and giving Duke and Virginia a shot at first place. Expect more of the same inconsistencies and surprises this season, and the Blue Devils could benefit if they rack up wins late in the year.
Bowl eligibility with six wins should be just the beginning for this year’s squad, and an upset win against the Hokies or Yellow Jackets could propel Duke atop the Coastal Division standings late in the season. With a number of experienced and potential All-ACC caliber players on the roster, joined by a group of some of the most explosive players to ever play for the program, the Blue Devils will take another step forward in 2015.
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