The Blue Devils will open fall camp Wednesday in preparation for the 2015-16 season which begins Sept. 3 with a contest at Tulane. We take a look at three players to keep an eye on during the first official practices of the season.
1. QB Thomas Sirk – For the first time since David Cutcliffe took over the head coaching job at Duke, there are more questions than answers at the quarterback position. The Blue Devils' last two starting quarterbacks—Sean Renfree and Anthony Boone—each saw significant playing time as backups and eased into the starting role during their sophomore and junior seasons, respectively. But Sirk has only seen meaningful action as a short-yardage quarterback and has only attempted 14 career passes. Coaches and players have been very high on the redshirt junior this summer, but can he emerge as one of the team's offensive leaders and live up to expectations?
2. WR T.J. Rahming – Although he was only a three-star recruit coming out of high school, Rahming's head-turning performance in the U.S. Army All-America game showed that he clearly has special talent. The big question for the true freshman is whether coaches will have him take a redshirt year to add to his 5-foot-10 and 165-pound frame or if he will see playing time this year. Rahming has drawn comparisons to Jamison Crowder,who had similar physical characteristics coming out of high school. The Powder Springs, Ga., native will have the chance to prove that he is ready to play right away during fall camp and he could provide a spark to a wide receiving corps full of unknowns.
3. LB Zavier Carmichael – The sophomore linebacker will be forced to become one of the leaders of the defense after senior linebacker Kelby Brown suffered a career-ending ACL injury last month. With Brown on the sidelines, Carmichael shifts over to the Mike linebacker position and will take over the play calling for the defensive unit. The Eight Mile, Ala., native has proven his ability to make plays on the field after playing in all 13 games and registering 20 tackles and a pair of interceptions a year ago. But the major question will continue to be how well Carmichael transitions to his new position and quarterbacks the Duke defense.
Be sure to stay with the Blue Zone for our continuing preview of the Blue Devils' 2015-16 season.
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