Firing changes minds

The fallout from the firing of head coach Carl Franks extends beyond the current Duke roster. As a result of Sunday's announcement, a number of Blue Devil recruits could reconsider their respective decisions to attend Duke.

Justin Boyle, a 6-foot-2 outside linebacker who had committed to Duke, is now considering playing football for another University. According to Boyle's father John, his son had decided to attend Duke based on its educational value and the expected improvement of the football program this year, but as the program continued to struggle, Boyle began to consider other options.

Another major factor in Boyle's decision to come to Duke was defensive coordinator and interim head coach Ted Roof.

"We were very impressed with Roof," John Boyle said. "Justin's commitment was as much to Roof as it was to the school."

John Boyle tried to contact Roof Sunday night upon hearing the news, but had not spoken to the interim head coach when he spoke with The Chronicle. As a possible alternative, the family visited the University of South Carolina this past weekend even before hearing that Franks had been fired.

The Duke football program has received two other commitments for the upcoming season: Zach Smith and Jonathan Terry. Smith could not be reached for comment Sunday night, but Terry reaffirmed his intentions to attend Duke.

"I still plan on going to Duke," Terry said.

The offensive tackle mentioned that the coaching staff, including Franks, was a primary factor in his decision to attend Duke in the first place, but uncertainty about the future of the head coach position did not concern him.