Head coach David Cutcliffe has a dilemma on his hands when it comes to this year's freshman class.
In terms of his team's depth, some positions-like the offensive and defensive lines-are lean in numbers, which may require freshmen to be prepared to take the field this year. And for the newcomers, the chance probably couldn't come soon enough.
"We do have some [freshmen] that are playing exceptional for us," Cutcliffe said. "I can tell you that Johnny Williams is going to be in the mix and be in the game, [along with] Jay Hollingsworth and Matt Daniels... [and] Lee Butler."
With senior running back Re'quan Boyette out indefinitely with knee surgery, the Blue Devils have injected some new life into the backfield mix. Hollingsworth, a North Carolina native, has shined thus far for Duke. He could get some playing time at running back when the team takes on James Madison in its season opener.
With the experience and power brought by senior back Clifford Harris, the quickness of converted cornerback Tony Jackson and the addition of a traditional runner in Hollingsworth, the Blue Devil backfield is certainly multifaceted. In fact, starting quarterback Thaddeus Lewis has dubbed the combo a "three-headed monster."
Perhaps Duke's most prominent signing, four-star cornerback Randez James has shown solid skill on the defensive side and is moving his way up the Blue Devil depth chart. James followed the path of junior defensive lineman Vince Oghobaase and enrolled at Duke last January to help ease the transition from high school to college and further prepare himself for this level.
Along with James, the secondary seems to have been fortified by this recruiting class as Butler, a cornerback from Anderson, S.C. and Matt Daniels-a safety from Fayetteville, Ga.-were included in Cutcliffe's list of the freshmen talent, which has been quick to develop. But if Cutcliffe had his way, his first-years would have even more time.
"Not to hurt our recruiting, but I would love to red-shirt the bulk of our class, particularly these first few years. It's the fastest way to building a program," Cutcliffe said. Freshmen are unavailable for comment to the media.
Allowing freshmen to take a year off to soak in the system and prepare physically for the college level may be a luxury that Duke cannot afford to take. Former head coach Ted Roof was also an advocate of redshirting his players, to which he attributed Wake Forest's rise up the rankings.
One highly-touted recruit who will most likely not see immediate action is four-star quarterback Sean Renfree. Renfree will sit behind Lewis, perhaps even for two years, before he gets his chance to play. And if Renfree ends up getting redshirted this season, it probably won't be to Cutcliffe's chagrin.
"I love fourth-year juniors," he said. "When you get fourth-year juniors and fifth-year seniors together on a team, you've got a pretty good football team if you've recruited right."
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