With the first game of next season more than six months away, the football team has plenty of time to work on its skills.
Coming off a 1-10 season, in which the Blue Devils did not win a league game, Duke knows it has many areas to work on if it wants to be more competitive in ACC play this season.
The 13 returning starters and 40 lettermen began their spring practice March 25 and will conclude its 15 workouts with its Spring Game April 22.
"The first of our goals is for everybody to learn the tools of the trade and for everybody to execute the tools of the trade," Roof said. "Number two is to build the team, some people call it unity, chemistry, or trust, but we want to add that value to the team. The third thing I want to do is just to have some fun. I want the guys to have fun competing and playing the game. I want this to be the best two hours of the day for them."
Although the Blue Devils are focused on Roof's objectives, spring training also offers the young team an opportunity for many different types of growth.
"There is so much teaching going on," Roof said. "It's so good to see younger players grow and get better and go from a role where they were maybe a back-up or a redshirt to now where they're the guy the team is counting on to be at the front of the position."
Attempting to foster growth in the spring is not an unfamiliar theme for Duke. During the past two years, the Blue Devils have seen more freshmen play than any other team in Division I, Roof said.
Duke's reliance on freshman play highlights an essential part of the Blue Devil program that will not be on the field for spring drills-the 26 incoming recruits.
"Some of those guys are definitely going to have to play," Roof said. "I hope that's a trend we can cut back on as we grow our program but that's the landscape of where we are right now."
Duke only returns one starter from its offensive line, rising-junior center Matt Rumsey. Several other linemen did receive significant playing time at the end of last season, and the young group will attempt to protect rising-sophomore quarterback Zack Asack, the returning signal-caller.
The Blue Devils' defensive line, however, is one area in which the team has veteran experience. Led by seniors John Talley, Casey Camero and Eli Nichols, the group offers guidance and leadership to the younger players during the practice season.
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