With the 2018 season right around the corner, The Chronicle breaks down each of the eight major position groups: quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and tight ends, offensive line, defensive line, defensive backs, linebackers and specialists.
In the 4-2-5 scheme that Duke employs, defensive backs are at a premium. Last season, with a group of largely inexperienced yet talented players, the Blue Devils impressed despite going through some ups and downs. Now-junior cornerback Mark Gilbert developed into the team’s shutdown guy, snatching a league-high six interceptions while notching 15 pass breakups as well.
Gilbert—a preseason All-American—will assume his usual cornerback position, while the other starter will be redshirt freshman Josh Blackwell on the season opener Friday.
A crop of former highly-touted recruits should occupy the three safety positions. Assuming strike safety Jeremy McDuffie has made a full recovery from last year’s season-ending knee injury, expect the Blue Devils’ secondary to be a strength, as long as they can find a long-term solution at the second corner position.
Key players lost: Bryon Fields Jr. and Alonzo Saxton II
Duke lost two starters in the secondary from last year’s defense—Bryon Fields Jr. and Alonzo Saxton II—both of whom started multiple seasons for the Blue Devils. Fields Jr. finished his Duke career with the record for interceptions returned for touchdowns, including a key one in last season’s victory down the road against North Carolina. Saxton also made a memorable mark on the season, with an impressive strip that really kick-started the Blue Devils’ 41-17 romp against Northwestern.
While junior Dylan Singleton should slide in seamlessly for Saxton, the second cornerback position previously occupied by Fields is still a question mark for the unit.
Projected starters: Mark Gilbert, Josh Blackwell, Marquis Waters, Jeremy McDuffie and Dylan Singleton
Perhaps the most interesting offseason development in this unit has been the upward trajectory of sophomore Marquis Waters, who has overtaken senior Jordan Hayes for the bandit safety position. Albeit in limited chances, Waters impressed particularly against the run, notching a career-best seven tackles against Georgia Tech’s triple option. Waters also shared the Most Improved Defensive Player award in the spring, and might very well be the best Blue Devil safety by the season’s end.
Although Blackwell was named the starting cornerback, it will be hard to keep Michael Carter II off the field considering his playmaking abilities—he had a strip sack against Baylor and 1.5 tackles for a loss in Duke’s bowl victory against Northern Illinois.
Gilbert and McDuffie both have multiple years of experience at their respective positions, and Singleton has played nearly 600 snaps at safety in his first two years in Durham. Expect co-defensive coordinators Ben Albert and Matt Guerrieri to be plenty aggressive with their front six given their strength at secondary.
Dark horse: Myles Hudzick
After spring practice, it seemed as though Hudzick had the second cornerback position on lock. The redshirt sophomore also shared the Most Improved Defensive Player award in the spring, and head coach David Cutcliffe gushed about the redshirt sophomore’s improvements.
Hudzick may also see some time at punt returner if wideout T.J. Rahming struggles, but he entered every contest last season in a backup position, registering one tackle.
It remains to be seen how far Hudzick has fallen since the spring, but assuming he gets on the field against Army this week, expect him to get a chance to lockdown that cornerback position opposite Gilbert.
The Blue Zone has already previewed Duke's quarterbacks, specialists and running backs. And come back tomorrow as we break down Duke's wide receivers/tight ends and linebackers.
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