Duke linebacker Kelby Brown and tight end Braxton Deaver have each been given a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, the team announced Monday afternoon.
Both players have missed the entirety of this season after suffering knee injuries during the preseason. Brown tore the ACL in his left knee during a scrimmage Aug. 11, and Deaver fell victim to the same injury in his right leg Aug. 18.
The 2014 season was supposed to have been the players' fifth year of NCAA eligibility, after each was forced to take a medical redshirt earlier in their careers in Durham. Brown, a 2013 first team All-ACC selection, missed the 2012 campaign with a torn ACL in his right knee. Deaver also sat out the 2012 season for the Blue Devils recovering from three separate surgeries, including an ACL tear in his other knee.
“I took a couple of weeks, probably a month, for some time to heal,” Brown said in a press release. “My inclination was to not play again. I spent a lot of time with Braxton and we helped each other through the process. Coach Cutcliffe was amazing throughout the entire time; he helped me find joy in the decision. He didn’t pressure me either way. He just gave me practical advice."
Brown has recorded 242 tackles in three seasons on the gridiron for head coach David Cutcliffe, as well as a pair of interceptions and six fumble recoveries.
Deaver was one of quarterback Anthony Boone's most dependable targets in 2013, ranking second on the team with 46 receptions, 600 receiving yards and four touchdowns on his way to earning All-ACC honors. The 6-foot-5 redshirt senior entered this year's preseason looking to build on a strong performance in last year's Chick-fil-A Bowl, when the Charlotte, N.C., native hauled in six passes for a career-best 116 yards.
“Mentally and emotionally, I wasn’t really there [after surgery]; it was something I really had to think about," Deaver said in the release. "As I started to recover, I became more clear-headed about the whole situation, and after looking at my options, it was a no-brainer."
Brown and Deaver were expected to be significant contributors and leaders on this year's team, and their injuries created doubts in the minds of many as to whether the Blue Devils stood a chance at repeating as ACC Coastal Division champions.
Now sitting at 8-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play, Duke has answered those doubts, particularly defensively. Anchored by the play of senior linebacker David Helton—who shifted over to Brown's Mike linebacker position after the Matthews, N.C., native went down with the injury—the Blue Devil defense has given up the 11th-fewest points per game in the nation. Offensively, tight end David Reeves and wide receiver Max McCaffrey have stepped up in the absence of Deaver, reeling in a combined 37 catches for 328 yards and five scores.
The return of Brown and Deaver in 2015 will help to bolster a Blue Devil roster that will lose many of its key components following this season, including Helton, Boone and his favorite target, Jamison Crowder.
Former Blue Devil defensive end Kenny Anunike was a key member of Duke's division-winning team last season, playing in his sixth year of NCAA eligibility. Like Brown and Deaver, Anunike was granted an additional year of eligibility after missing the entire 2008 season and eight games in 2011 due to knee injuries. The Galena, Ohio, product responded in his final year in Durham, recording a team-best six sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss.
No. 19 Duke will look to improve upon its highest ranking in 20 years Saturday when the Blue Devils host Virginia Tech at noon at Wallace Wade Stadium.
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