It may be the offseason, but a lot of news has come down in Durham in recent weeks surrounding the football program. Duke has its new offensive coordinator in Zac Roper after the departure of Scottie Montgomery to East Carolina, and the Blue Devils' 2016 schedule was released in late January. Just last week, head coach David Cutcliffe inked his best recruiting class in program history. But things took a turn for the worse early this week. The Chronicle's football beat writers take a look at some of the topical questions as the build-up to the start of spring practice continues.
The big news from Durham this week surrounded quarterback Thomas Sirk, who ruptured his left Achilles tendon Tuesday morning and underwent surgery Wednesday. What does Sirk's injury mean for the Blue Devils under center moving forward?
Sam Turken: Obviously, it's unfortunate that it happened—Sirk won’t be able to participate in spring ball now, nor will he be able to play in the spring showcase April 9. His return to action in 2016 will depend on how his rehab goes—when he ruptured his right Achilles in April 2013, he redshirted the entire season, though he would have been the back-up to Anthony Boone anyways. When and if Sirk is able to come back fully healthy next season, I think he holds onto his starting job. Although backup Parker Boehme played well in several games this past season and will practice with the first team in the spring, Sirk’s athleticism, experience and intangibles will help him secure the position.
Seth Johnson: With Sirk facing another Achilles injury, Cutcliffe can look to four quarterbacks on the roster for the upcoming spring and leading into the fall. Boehme—a rising redshirt junior—stands out as the obvious candidate to work under center in Sirk’s absence, as the only backup with any in-game experience. Boehme was 43-for-78 through the air last season for 579 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and was called upon 45 times on the ground for 181 yards and five touchdowns. Most of those numbers were picked up in two starts against Pittsburgh and at Virginia, when the Blue Devils dropped consecutive games, but Boehme seems the likely option without Sirk. Even if Sirk is ready by fall camp or the season, the biggest problem Duke faces is his lack of rapport with receivers and the offense that can be developed in the offseason. Boehme will have that opportunity, which could give him a higher stock as the likely starter next season.
Brian Mazur: Obviously, losing Sirk during the offseason is a major blow. The rising redshirt senior was by no means perfect last season, but was productive, throwing for 2,625 yards and 16 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions. He was the team’s leading rusher, posting 803 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. Cutcliffe was even confident that Sirk would have an even better season in 2016, sending expectations soaring during the offseason. But even if Sirk does make a return sometime in the fall, missing all of spring and fall camp is tough to overlook when the coaching staff choses a starting quarterback next season. Boehme has plenty of game experience and started against Pittsburgh back in November, so it isn’t like the Blue Devils don’t have a viable option at quarterback. Regardless of whether Sirk returns to the field in 2016, I think Boehme could be the guy under center.
Duke signed arguably its best recruiting class in program history last week, including seven four-star recruits. Out of the 21-player group, who do you have your eye on as a potential impact player in 2016 a la T.J. Rahming last season, and what does the momentum on the recruiting trail mean for the Blue Devils moving forward?
ST: This year’s recruiting class illustrates how far Cutcliffe has taken this program in the last couple of years. Duke is now on the radar of top recruits and has proven that it can snatch prospects from other top programs.
Defensive end at Chidi Okonya out of Riverdale, Ga., is definitely someone to pay attention to. The Blue Devil defensive ends struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks last year, something Duke has historically struggled with—the last time a Blue Devil recorded double-digit sacks was in 2012, when Shawn Johnson had 12. Okonya may finally end that streak. At 6-foot-7, 211 pounds, Okonya was a four-star prospect who flipped from Tennessee in December. He also had offers from Florida, Miami, Clemson, Louisiana State and Notre Dame, among others. Okonya is athletic, long and rangy, and can probably play as a stand-up end. He has shown good speed attacking the quarterback from the end spot. But he will have to gain weight and get stronger in order to stay on the field and match up against larger offensive linemen.
I’m also looking forward to seeing 6-foot-2 wide receiver Scott Bracey. Another four-star recruit, Bracey also had offers from some of the nation’s best programs, including Clemson, Michigan State, Ohio State and Florida State. His size will complement sophomore wide receiver T.J. Rahming’s quickness, and Cutcliffe has praised Bracey's route-running, even though he played quarterback in high school last season. He's capable of making explosive plays down field, and I expect him eventually emerge as one Boheme's top targets.
SJ: Although Duke has a litany of safeties on its roster for next season, I look at defensive back Dylan Singleton to make an impact once he arrives in Durham. The younger brother of safety Deondre Singleton, Dylan Singleton was a top-rated safety for Archer High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., that built a reputation on his production from the defensive backfield. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound defensive back snagged the 282nd spot in the ESPN 300 for his ability to close rapidly on opposing teams’ backfields and also drop back into a sizable range of coverage that made him a threat to signal-callers looking to air it out. With ACC Defensive Player of the Year Jeremy Cash moving on to the NFL, the Blue Devils will have to fill his strike safety ability somehow, and Singleton could be the best man to do that with his athleticism, which could allow him to crack the depth chart early in the fall.
BM: I think Bracey has the chance to see the field immediately for the Blue Devils next fall. Not only did he dominate opponents in the passing game during his stint at Benedictine College Prep, but at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, he has all of the measurables to be dominant at the collegiate level. With Max McCaffrey (graduation) and Johnell Barnes and Terrance Alls (dismissed) no longer on the roster, there is a huge hole at the wide receiver position that needs to be filled, and Bracey looks like the prime candidate to do that. Bracey is part of a talented recruiting class whose holistic impact won’t be immediately apparent in Durham. But in two or three years we are going to start seeing the level talent gradually increase at all positions, which means the Blue Devils will continue to compete for ACC championships in the years to come.
Duke's 2016 schedule was released recently, and the Blue Devils will have some tough sledding on their way to a fifth straight bowl appearance. What intrigues you most about Duke's schedule?
ST: The way that the schedule balanced itself out will be interesting, because the Blue Devils have several back-to-back road games. Duke’s first challenge will be against Northwestern—which finished 10-3 last year— on the road Sept. 17, and the Notre Dame the following week in South Bend, Ind., will show us how good this Blue Devil squad really is. After hosting Virginia and Army, playing at Louisville and Georgia Tech in consecutive weeks should also be a tough stretch. I expect Georgia Tech to be much improved after its surprising 3-9 2015 season. The Blue Devils then finish off the season with two more road games against Pittsburgh and Miami. I think most Duke fans will be happy that the Hurricanes are the last team on the schedule after they turned the Blue Devils’ season around for the worst with last year's Halloween miracle/nightmare/debacle.
SJ: Despite the hype surrounding back-to-back trips to Northwestern and Notre Dame, I am more intrigued about the final two contests of the year at Pittsburgh and Miami. The Blue Devils may have tough road games early, but these are bookended by easier contests against Wake Forest and Virginia. At the backend of the schedule, though, Duke could potentially drop into a dangerous spiral against Virginia Tech and North Carolina at home that becomes inescapable on the road the following weeks. Assuming the Blue Devils are bowl eligible by that point, the question of how they maintain momentum is intriguing, but on the other hand, if they are still searching for that magical sixth win, Cutcliffe’s ability to rally the troops in these tough contests will speak volumes for the future of the program.
BM: I think what intrigues me the most is the quality of nonconference opponents on the Blue Devils’ schedule next season. Sure, Duke blew out Army and N.C. Central last season and will be heavily favored in those games in 2016, but back-to-back games at Northwestern and at Notre Dame will be a huge tests for the Blue Devils. This will be the first time since the 2008-09 season that Duke has faced two nonconference Power Five opponents in the same season and will be a step up from the Sun Belt, American and FBS independent teams they have normally faced outside of the ACC. If the Blue Devils can pick up a win in even one of these games, I like their chances to finish with eight or more wins for the fourth straight season.
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