Last year, Duke fans grew accustomed to watching 6-foot-3 wide receiver Eron Riley use his combination of size and speed to make plays all over the field. With Riley's graduation and departure to the NFL, the Blue Devil receiving corps will feature a different look this year, but is nonetheless confident in producing without him.
"It's obviously a big loss not having his presence, but we've got to move on," junior receiver Austin Kelly said. "It's about getting more consistent as a group, spending more time in the playbook and paying more attention to detail with our routes."
Replacing Riley's 693 total receiving yards, eight touchdowns and deep-threat potential will be crucial considering that this year's three projected starters at the position-Kelly and sophomores Donovan Varner and Johnny Williams-had fewer combined yards than Riley last season.
Still, the emphasis on getting the ball into Riley's hands had its downfalls as the increased focus of defenses on Riley resulted in some drops and forced interceptions.
"We're working hard to help our quarterback build more trust in the receivers as a unit this year so that he will be able to spread the ball around," Kelly said. "He can go to anybody on a big third down and know that they will keep the drive going."
Both Varner and Williams are short for wide receivers, standing at 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10, respectively. However, both players compensate for their lack of height with their shifty, explosive athletic ability. To make use of this unique skill to gain yards after the catch, shorter, quicker passes will be a prominent part of the playbook this year.
Especially with a reshuffled offensive line in front of quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, short passes should be a Duke staple in 2009.
That strategy isn't much of a departure from last year, as underneath routes were also a significant part of the aerial attack and allowed for running backs Clifford Harris and Jay Hollingsworth to make a number of catches out of the backfield. Unfortunately, the receivers failed to excel in their playmaking after the catch as this year's trio combined for only one touchdown last season. But the coaching staff is confident that results will improve.
"We have some guys that can get what Coach Cutcliffe calls the dirty yards," senior Lewis said. "These receivers are willing to lower a shoulder and are capable of making somebody miss in the flats to pick up a couple of extra yards or break even bigger gains."
Still, this isn't to say that the Blue Devil offense won't pick and choose its spots to let Lewis throw the football down the field. The Kelly-Varner-Williams trio knows that for the offense to be potent enough to stay competitive in ACC games, they will have to use their playmaking ability to create big plays.
Also hoping to make significant contributions out on the flank are true freshmen wideouts Conner Vernon and Tyree Watkins. Both of these newcomers are expected to see action off the bench. Vernon, out of Miami's Gulliver Prep Academy, has been turning heads in workouts and actually lined up alongside Varner in high school, a relationship that Varner hopes to continue to foster.
"I was in his shoes last year as the new guy just trying to get comfortable and learn as much of the system as I could," Varner said. "So I am going to do everything I can to ease his transition because I think he can really help us with his playmaking ability."
While the freshman will be continuing to learn the playbook and transition to the college game, the rest of the receiving unit is afforded the pleasure of having a returning quarterback and coaching staff. The first year playing under head coach David Cutcliffe brought a lot of changes, but the offense seems to be in a much greater comfort zone now.
"The continuity is a sigh of relief, really," Lewis said. "I'm just excited to sit back in that pocket and watch the receivers make plays."
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