With the 2016 season right around the corner, The Chronicle's football beat writers break down each of the nine major position groups: quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs, kicker/punter and punt/kickoff returners to prepare you for the regular season.
One of the Blue Devils’ biggest strengths in 2015 was a special teams unit that ranked near the top of the ACC in nearly every major statistical category. Although the Duke kicking game will see some turnover with the departures of Ross Martin and Will Monday, the Blue Devils return their primary kick and punt returners this year with senior kick returner DeVon Edwards now the face of Duke’s special teams.
Edwards is a dangerous man whenever the ball gets in his hands—he has eight career return touchdowns with six on kickoffs and the other two the result of interceptions. Smith has yet to reach paydirt in a Duke uniform, but with a full year of punt returning duties under his belt, look for a jump in his level of play.
Key Players Lost: None
Kick returner and punt returner represent two of the few positions where the Blue Devils do not have to replace any performers from last season. But Duke is dealing with a change at the coaching level, as special teams coordinator Jim Bridge is replacing Zac Roper, who was promoted to offensive coordinator in the offseason.
Cutcliffe on the returners
[Edwards] has got great feet, great quickness. He's a great sprinter. He's much faster than people realize. He's explosive. He has every gift. All of those things combined, I mean, he is truly a phenomenal kickoff return man. I've had Willie Gault, some great ones. Nothing comes close to what DeVon Edwards is as a kickoff return man.
[What makes Edwards so good is] his fearlessness and his vision and his speed. It would be like you guys all lined up and I’m going to take a 25-yard head start and I’m going to believe that I’m going to run straight right through here because there’s going to be crack. He sees that crack and he never slows down. Watch him. Unfortunately, because of that, he takes some big hits, and he just is relentless. Even after he takes a big hit, he gets back up and keeps going.
Projected Starters: DeVon Edwards and Ryan Smith
Edwards was one of the top kick returners in the nation last year and was named an All-America and All-ACC return specialist. The Covington, Ga., native's six career kickoff returns for touchdowns are one shy of former Clemson standout C.J. Spiller's NCAA record, and Edwards ranks third among all active players in average return yardage. At 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Edwards has the strength to be one of Duke’s best players in the secondary, but also its difference-maker in the return game. Along with Shaun Wilson—who returned a kick 98 yards in the Pinstripe Bowl last December—the Blue Devils will likely see many opponents try to keep the ball away from whoever is back deep on kickoffs.
Smith returned all but one of the punts that Duke fielded last season, but had limited success. Outside of one 69-yard return, the 5-foot-7 specialist averaged less than five yards per return on his other 28 chances. The Las Vegas native has been lightly used at wide receiver in his first three seasons in Durham, but will have many chances to make his mark on the Blue Devils’ season both on offense and special teams. Smith also runs the 100-meter dash and the 4-x-100-meter relay for Duke's track and field team in the spring.
Dark Horse: Shaun Wilson
Although Wilson remains trapped behind the supremely-talented Edwards, the junior’s 98-yard return for a touchdown against Indiana in the fourth quarter of last season's Pinstripe Bowl victory was one of the game’s signature plays. Wilson averaged 41.0 yards per return on just four chances last season and is more than capable of stepping in if Edwards ever suffers an injury.
This post wraps up The Blue Zone's position preview series, with the Blue Devils kicking off the season Saturday night against N.C. Central. Be sure to stay with The Blue Zone for pre-game and post-game analysis for every Duke game this season.
Hank Tucker contributed reporting.
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Twitter: @mpgladstone13
A junior from just outside Philadelphia, Mitchell is probably reminding you how the Eagles won the Super Bowl this year and that the Phillies are definitely on the rebound. Outside of The Chronicle, he majors in Economics, minors in Statistics and is working toward the PJMS certificate, in addition to playing trombone in the Duke University Marching Band. And if you're getting him a sandwich with beef and cheese outside the state of Pennsylvania, you best not call it a "Philly cheesesteak."