Duke football 2023 positional preview: Running backs

With the 2023 season on the horizon, the Blue Zone breaks down each of the eight major position groups for this Duke squad: Specialists, defensive line, offensive line, linebackers, defensive backs, receivers, running backs and quarterbacks:

Key players lost: Terry Moore

While no star runner actually left the team, former running back Terry Moore switched to safety in the spring. In his freshman year, Moore ran 29 times for 128 yards as one of four key backs last year. With a trio of returning rushers plus incoming freshmen, Moore will probably be better utilized in the secondary. 

Projected Starters: Jordan Waters & Jaylen Coleman

Waters and Coleman will be the lead backs in what appears to be another year of the by-committee approach to the position. Both put up strong numbers last season, as Waters racked up 566 rushing yards on 123 attempts and Coleman posted 536 on 128 tries. Both are graduate students, so it will likely be each of their final seasons in college. That being said, a more evenly-distributed rushing attack will prevent any one player from being overused, allowing both to stay healthy at one of the most physically damaging positions in football. In addition, the fresh legs can wear out defenses, part of what Duke used in its third-ranked rushing attack in the league. 

With both players almost certainly sharing a healthy portion of the load, it feels unfair to name one of them as the official starter. Look for both Waters and Coleman to have a significant impact on the ground this year. 

Dark Horse: Peyton Jones

One name to watch out for that might not be sitting at the top of the depth chart is freshman Peyton Jones. Jones was a three-star prospect coming out of high school, and helped lead his team to three Virginia state championships. College is obviously an adjustment from the high school game, but head coach Mike Elko recently listed Jones as one of the few freshmen who would likely cross the four-game redshirt threshold. If a few other players go down to injury, Jones might be the guy to come in and shoulder part of the rushing burden this year. Even without injury, Elko and offensive coordinator Kevin Johns are not shy to use a large group of backs, increasing Jones’ chances of earning meaningful snaps.