Although the Blue Devils return 14 starters this year, there are still new names to learn. We will break down each of the nine major position groups: running backs, quarterbacks, offensive line, receivers, defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs, kicker/punter and punt/kickoff returners to prepare you for the regular season.
When it comes to special teams, fans tend to magnify their mistakes more so than any other position outside of the quarterback. With six games being decided by a touchdown or less in 2013, Duke will need every point it can get this season if it hopes to repeat as ACC Coastal champs. Luckily for the Blue Devils, when the game is on the line, their specialiasts have been nothing but clutch the past two years. Sophomore Ross Martin, redshirt sophomores Will Monday and Thomas Hennessy will return for the third straight year to man the kicking game for Duke.
Projected Starers:
No players lost, surprises or dark horses here. Martin will start at kicker, Monday will start at punter and Hennesey will be the starting long snapper. The trio have been doing their thing for the past two years and this year looks to be no different. Martin is a two-time All-ACC selection and has earned a yearly spot on the preseason watch list for the Lou Groza Award. In his time at Duke, the Solon, Ohio native has nailed 33-of-42 kicks for a 78.6 success percentage. After bursting on the scene in 2012 with a 20-of-23 season—earning him freshman All-American honors from CBS Sports, Phile Steele and Sporting News—Martin cooled down last season, going just 13-of-19. His innate ability to nail them when they mattered most was still on full display though, as he hit two from beyond 50-yards in a 13-10 road victory against Virginia Tech as well as a 27-yarder at North Carolina with 2:22 left to clinch the ACC Coastal Division title. By the time he hangs up his cleats, he'll be known as one of the best Blue Devils to ever boot the ball. Assuming he gets his accuracy back on track, Martin is set to have another stellar season for Duke.
Will Monday was another player with an excellent 2012 campaign followed by a decrease in numbers in 2013, as he finished ranked 13th in the nation and first in the ACC in yards per punt average but fell to fifth in the conference this past season. Despite the dip in numbers, Monday, just like Martin, is considered one of top 10 players at his position in the nation. He is a two-time All-ACC player and is on the watch list for the Ray Guy award once again. His numbers dropped last season by two yards—44.64 to 42.68—but he honed in on his control, as he pinned the opponent inside the 20-yard line 21 times, compared to 19 as a redshirt freshman. Monday is also the placeholder for the kicking operation.
Hennesey is a redshirt sophomore and has been in control of the longsnapper position for the two seasons. In that time, he, Martin and Monday have spent their time perfecting their craft and will look to smooth out any kinks in the operation this season, as both specialists need to keep their numbers up and continue their clutch kicking if they want to be on draft boards in 2016.
In case you forgot...
If you're counting from where Monday punted, that ball travelled 70 yards in the air. Not to mention that might just be the greatest roll you will ever see on a punt. Ever.
Cut on the kicking game:
"You want to be perfect because (Martin's) so gifted. But when I went back and looked (at his misses), we studied a lot of things. We studied the snap and the hold. You’ve got to look beyond, we did that. We also studied where he missed, the distance he missed...The part about being a specialist is when you miss a big one that is makeable, it remains in everybody’s minds. You also go up to Blacksburg, the last play of the half. How did that impact that game? That’s a great player at a critical time."
"I want to Ross and our snap and our hold create a little bit more consistency, which I think we have found that secret. I’m not going to go into details there, but I feel really good about where we are. I think we can be exceptional in the area of special teams."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.