Although the Blue Devils return 14 starters this year, there are still new names to learn. We will break down each of the 10 major position groups: running backs, quarterbacks, offensive line, receivers, defensive ends, defensive tackles, linebackers, defensive backs, kicker/punter and punt/kickoff returners to prepare you for the regular season.
Arguably the biggest position question mark for Duke is the defensive line. In the team's 4-2-5 defense, the front four is crucial to suffocating opposing team's running games, in addition to getting after the quarterback. But this summer, the defensive line has come under fire from experts, with some calling it the weakest link of the Blue Devil defense. After losing two senior leaders and starters, the line must improve upon last year's effort, which was the part of the nation's 64th-ranked defense that gave up 26.6 points per game. With strong leadership and abundant talent at the linebacker position and in the secondary, a strong showing in the trenches could make Duke one of the more dominant defenses in the ACC.
Key Players Lost:
Six-year player Kenny Anunike anchored the Blue Devil defensive line during the past two years and became an important part of a defense that had one of the nation's best turnover margins in 2013. Always a threat to quarterbacks from his right-end position, he often drew double teams that opened the doors for other members of the line to make big plays. Still, Anunike managed 64 tackles and six sacks in his final season in Durham, which helped him land a gig in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, something that is working out pretty well for him. Another end, Justin Foxx, was also a pivotal weapon for causing havoc in opponents' backfields, amassing 54 tackles and four sacks last season. Maybe more important than the duo's statistics was their leadership on the gridiron. The defensive line will have to find new leaders to lead in trenches this season, something that won't be hard considering that a handful of the projected starters are upperclassmen.
Projected Starters:
The depth chart released by the program in July projected the four starters to be redshirt senior Dezmond Johnson, redshirt senior Jamal Wallace and juniors Carlos Wray and Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo. But with so many players returning to the position with more or less the same amount of experience, no job will be safe during Fall Camp. DeWalt-Ondijo has shown the most promise during the past four years, coming up with big sacks during opportune times in games against FIU (2011) and Wake Forest (2012) that forced game-changing fumbles. He has great speed coming off the left side and was recently commended by David Cutcliffe for his performance during the first week of camp. Bruce and Johnson are also seasoned veterans on the line, but only combined for two sacks in 2013. Wray should hold his own in the middle of the line. He had a solid sophomore campaign after only recording three tackles as a freshman. Jonathon Jones, formerly Jonathon Woodruff, shouldn't let his playing time disappear like his former name either. He also has a knack for backfield, recording three sacks and four tackles for loss in a reserve role. Backups A.J. Wolf and Jamal Wallace both saw reserve time last season and should find their way in the rotation as well. Although the concerns at defensive line have not been suppressed, having three redshirt seniors in the starting lineup should help them improve their numbers in 2014.
Dark Horse:
Former linebacker Kyler Brown is slated to backup Johnson and will most likely see significant playing time rushing the quarterback on the blind side. Brown is an athletic individual who may have gained weight this past summer, but has retained his linebacker-like athleticism. Brown was busy fending off injuries last season, but has had a healthy summer and should make a smooth transition from linebacker to defensive line. Look for him on the field this fall and he could even push Johnson for the starting job.
Redshirt Watch:
South Florida native Edgar Cerenord was rated the 49th-best defensive tackle coming out of high school according to ESPN and weighed in at close to 300 pounds during his senior year. We think the Duke coaching staff will spend this year acclimating Cerenord to the collegiate level and developing his raw talent for future seasons.
Cutcliffe on the Defensive Line:
"We will look at both lines of scrimmage and try to come out of there with a starting unit and a second unit that are good enough to play with. Certainly we’d love to see our defensive line grow to a 10-man rotation. I think we have a lot of people who played a lot of snaps back, but obviously we lost three starters."
"The defensive front, depending upon Jamal Bruce’s health, I would say Bruce and Carlos Wray inside and then it’s going to be interesting outside what occurs. We’ve got Dez Johnson and Jordan (Dewalt-Odinjo) and Jonathan (Jones) and a number of people, I’m going to throw Kyler Brown in that mix."
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