2016 Football Recruiting

[Olympic Fan]

This one is more about high school juniors (the 2017 recruiting class), but the below was from an ESPN article one some recruiting battles over top juniors:

"No. 16 Tedarrell Slaton, OT: ACC programs Florida State and Duke are locked in a battle with SEC powers, including LSU and Florida. American Heritage High School has connections to Georgia, Florida State, Duke, Miami and Florida through former teammates and coaches on staff. Early on, the Seminoles and Blue Devils like where they stand."

I am not going to fool myself into thinking Duke will win this battle, but I love the fact that we are in the middle of it and battling with the big boys over a top recruit. I know we have gotten recruits with great offer lists, so I'm not saying it can't happen, but regardless, loved reading about it.

The competition is certainly difficult, but in the last couple of years, Duke has won a number of battles against such competition. Just go to ESPN and check Duke's 2016 commits and some of their offer lists: WR Scott Bracy, for instance, had offers from Ohio State, FSU, Clemson, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Penn State, Michigan, UNC, Miami; OT Robert Kaeling from Athens, Ga., had offers from Alabama, his hometown Georgia Bulldogs, Stanford, Auburn, Baylor, Penn State and VPI; Mark Birmingham, a tight end from Virginia, had offers from FSU, Florida, Stanford, Penn State, Wisconsin, Miami; Brittain Brown, a running back from Georgia, had offers from Nebraska, Stanford, Ole Miss, Louisville, Clemson and Georgia Tech.

Those are, of course, just partial offer lists. And many of the other 2016 commits have strong offer lists too.

I think there is a small subset of prospects -- kids who want to experience big-time football and are very interested in a quality education -- that Duke can land, even in competition with the superpowers in the sport. I don't know if Slaton is such a kid, but if he is, Duke's chances are very good. Cut's recent success has made Duke a viable option for such kids.

Of course, the great majority of prospects merely pay lip service to academics (maybe their parents are a bit more serious) or actively seek a place where they can get by with as little academic work as possible. We're going to lose those kids to UNC and other athletic factories.

[Avvocato]

The competition is certainly difficult, but in the last couple of years, Duke has won a number of battles against such competition. Just go to ESPN and check Duke's 2016 commits and some of their offer lists: WR Scott Bracy, for instance, had offers from Ohio State, FSU, Clemson, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Penn State, Michigan, UNC, Miami; OT Robert Kaeling from Athens, Ga., had offers from Alabama, his hometown Georgia Bulldogs, Stanford, Auburn, Baylor, Penn State and VPI; Mark Birmingham, a tight end from Virginia, had offers from FSU, Florida, Stanford, Penn State, Wisconsin, Miami; Brittain Brown, a running back from Georgia, had offers from Nebraska, Stanford, Ole Miss, Louisville, Clemson and Georgia Tech.

I agree, and even mentioned that above. The only difference here is that we are talking about a top 20 recruit. As of now, Duke has not won the battles for the very elite recruits yet. My point was that that is fine. I actually don't expect us to win those battles yet. This is a process. Cutcliffe first started to get consistently 3-star recruits, then a few 4-star recruits, and now is getting a few Top 300 recruits. We are starting to win recruiting battles against top schools for recruits. However, in this case, we are talking about a top 20 guy, and I don't expect to win it (though would love to and it would be a huge statement for the program). However, just being in the running and thinking we are in a good position is great news. It is just showing the evolution of the program and our recruiting that we are now seriously being considered by top recruits.

[duke blue brewcrew]

I agree, and even mentioned that above. The only difference here is that we are talking about a top 20 recruit. As of now, Duke has not won the battles for the very elite recruits yet. My point was that that is fine. I actually don't expect us to win those battles yet. This is a process. Cutcliffe first started to get consistently 3-star recruits, then a few 4-star recruits, and now is getting a few Top 300 recruits. We are starting to win recruiting battles against top schools for recruits. However, in this case, we are talking about a top 20 guy, and I don't expect to win it (though would love to and it would be a huge statement for the program). However, just being in the running and thinking we are in a good position is great news. It is just showing the evolution of the program and our recruiting that we are now seriously being considered by top recruits.

I think to Oly's point, IF that Top 20 recruit you are referring to is a Duke caliber student athlete, aka "A Duke Guy", that it is now possible the Blue Devils win that battle a little more often. Where in the past, that athlete would've ended up at one of the hitorically great football programs who reload every year. I love the trend we're seeing in the CFB recruiting battles, Coach Cut & Co are making some noise on the trail and the calibre of athlete coming into the Duke Football team has gone up exponentially. I am incredibly excited about the future of the program under Coach Cut.

[duke blue brewcrew]

Things have been just shy of depressingly quiet on this thread. We are getting dangerously close to the 8/1 announcement date for Phillip Patterson, 6'2" WR out of VA, 3 stars. Below is a link some highlights for Patterson. He seems to have solid size, hands and speed with decent quickness in traffic. He has a Top Six of Duke, Penn State, Va Tech, Old Dominion, UNC and Wake. He's received an offer from the Vols since naming his Top 6, and essentially now has a Top 7. Patterson has made recent trips to both Tennessee and Va Tech. This should be interesting.

http://247sports.com/Bolt/Patterson-...-date-38153677

[duke blue brewcrew]

Here's the announcement, and CONGRATS to Liam! Go Duke!

http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/2016-...-Game-38472655

[Jarhead]

Here's the announcement, and CONGRATS to Liam! Go Duke!

http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/2016-...-Game-38472655

To that I say, "OOOH Rah!"

[Bob Green]

Norfolk/Virginia Beach area is traditionally a Virginia Tech area. I've no knowledge about Patterson's leanings, but I have to believe VT is our competition. We will all know in three weeks.

Phillip Patterson announced this morning he will attend Virginia Tech.

[Olympic Fan]

Phillip Patterson announced this morning he will attend Virginia Tech.

That's disappointing, but no surprise ...

I know it seems like Duke has had a long dry spell since the last commitment in this class, but part of that is because of the quality of kid that Cut is pursuing. A lot of the top kids wait until fall ... or almost to signing day to commit. Jela Duncan, Shaq Powell, Tevon Lee and Edgar Cerenord are all kids that committed within a week of signing day.

Cut only has four or 5 spots left in this class. He's playing for some big fish. Be patient.

We're battling Alabama, Oregon, Ohio State (among others) for four-star DE Prince Sammons. We're battling Ohio State for safety Dylan Singleton. We're in it with Alabama again for four-star Tre Nixon. We're battling Stanford and Georgia for OT Parker Braun. Our best DT target seems to be three-star Kevin McCrory, who is also a target for UNC and Louisville.

We'll be lucky to get 1-2 of those ... but most of them won't be announcing until late.

PS I know we're a longshot for Sammons, but I'd kill to get that guy.

[duke blue brewcrew]

That's disappointing, but no surprise ...

I know it seems like Duke has had a long dry spell since the last commitment in this class, but part of that is because of the quality of kid that Cut is pursuing. A lot of the top kids wait until fall ... or almost to signing day to commit. Jela Duncan, Shaq Powell, Tevon Lee and Edgar Cerenord are all kids that committed within a week of signing day.

Cut only has four or 5 spots left in this class. He's playing for some big fish. Be patient.

We're battling Alabama, Oregon, Ohio State (among others) for four-star DE Prince Sammons. We're battling Ohio State for safety Dylan Singleton. We're in it with Alabama again for four-star Tre Nixon. We're battling Stanford and Georgia for OT Parker Braun. Our best DT target seems to be three-star Kevin McCrory, who is also a target for UNC and Louisville.

We'll be lucky to get 1-2 of those ... but most of them won't be announcing until late.

PS I know we're a longshot for Sammons, but I'd kill to get that guy.

I do love that Duke is fising in bigger ponds now, it seems to be paying off so far. It's fun to see Duke competing against some of the big boys for top notch talent. It's even more fun to see them pull off a win in those recruiting battes here and there. I would dance in the streets if the Blue Devils landed Sammons! I have seen that Duke is going after DT Kevin McCrary, and another name I've heard recently is Curtis Weaver. Is Weaver heating up on the Duke radar and vice versa? If you were forced to choose, who do you think are the most likely targets from your list above to commit to Duke?

[duke blue brewcrew]

First and foremost, as a fan, any talented young man who is a good fit for the Blue Devil program and wants to put on that beautiful darker shade of blue is welcome in my book. That said, I'm curious about some specific positions in the race to fill out the remaining holes in the Duke recruiting class for 2016. It looks like Jonathan Smith will be committing soon to his school of choice. He just recently visited Duke, and if you believe the predictions on 247, it appears to be down to Duke and UNC. My question is, with three OLB already committed in the class, how critical is Jonathan's commitment to Duke? The one difference is that he is an ILB, and there are no recruits in Duke's current class at ILB. However, Duke plays a 2 LBs at a time with a hybrid 3rd at the Devil position. The Blue Devils seem to have a wealth of young talent already in the ranks at LB. If it were to happen, is his commitment a true need for Duke?

[sagegrouse]

First and foremost, as a fan, any talented young man who is a good fit for the Blue Devil program and wants to put on that beautiful darker shade of blue is welcome in my book. That said, I'm curious about some specific positions in the race to fill out the remaining holes in the Duke recruiting class for 2016. It looks like Jonathan Smith will be committing soon to his school of choice. He just recently visited Duke, and if you believe the predictions on 247, it appears to be down to Duke and UNC. My question is, with three OLB already committed in the class, how critical is Jonathan's commitment to Duke? The one difference is that he is an ILB, and there are no recruits in Duke's current class at ILB. However, Duke plays a 2 LBs at a time with a hybrid 3rd at the Devil position. The Blue Devils seem to have a wealth of young talent already in the ranks at LB. If it were to happen, is his commitment a true need for Duke?

You are close to the program, but I have always thought the use of a safety in the box by Duke was a concession that our linebackers weren't as good as other teams'. In other words, a really good inside linebacker would be highly desirable.

[budwom]

You are close to the program, but I have always thought the use of a safety in the box by Duke was a concession that our linebackers weren't as good as other teams'. In other words, a really good inside linebacker would be highly desirable.

I think that's precisely right. When we went to the 4-2-5, we had quite a few good safeties and a genuine dearth of good linebackers. This current recruiting class, if it holds, might be enough
to swing us back to a 4-3 defense. Having said that, when I look at the 4-2-5 on the field, I'm not seeing anything drastically different from a 4-3. (The new recruits constitute a fabulous haul at LB. They
all have size, and they all can run.)

[jimsumner]

I think that's precisely right. When we went to the 4-2-5, we had quite a few good safeties and a genuine dearth of good linebackers. This current recruiting class, if it holds, might be enough
to swing us back to a 4-3 defense. Having said that, when I look at the 4-2-5 on the field, I'm not seeing anything drastically different from a 4-3. (The new recruits constitute a fabulous haul at LB. They
all have size, and they all can run.)

Cut also has been known to turn linebackers into ends.

[duke blue brewcrew]

I think that's precisely right. When we went to the 4-2-5, we had quite a few good safeties and a genuine dearth of good linebackers. This current recruiting class, if it holds, might be enough
to swing us back to a 4-3 defense. Having said that, when I look at the 4-2-5 on the field, I'm not seeing anything drastically different from a 4-3. (The new recruits constitute a fabulous haul at LB. They
all have size, and they all can run.)

If that's true, then why does Duke seem to be recruiting the next Jeremy Cash? I see Humphreyes as a strong candidate to fill that role. I am confident the Blue Devils have depth that will be ready behind him as well. In addition, they are recruiting that Devil position that lends to the 4-2-5 alignment as well. Personally, I like a a more traditional approach, but if Duke can find the right personnel to fill those roles and have an effective Defense as a result, then I'm all in.

[airowe]

First and foremost, as a fan, any talented young man who is a good fit for the Blue Devil program and wants to put on that beautiful darker shade of blue is welcome in my book. That said, I'm curious about some specific positions in the race to fill out the remaining holes in the Duke recruiting class for 2016. It looks like Jonathan Smith will be committing soon to his school of choice. He just recently visited Duke, and if you believe the predictions on 247, it appears to be down to Duke and UNC. My question is, with three OLB already committed in the class, how critical is Jonathan's commitment to Duke? The one difference is that he is an ILB, and there are no recruits in Duke's current class at ILB. However, Duke plays a 2 LBs at a time with a hybrid 3rd at the Devil position. The Blue Devils seem to have a wealth of young talent already in the ranks at LB. If it were to happen, is his commitment a true need for Duke?

Guys don't always play the same positions at the college level they do in high school...

[duke blue brewcrew]

Guys don't always play the same positions at the college level they do in high school...

That's a great point, & you're absolutely right about that. As Jim pointed out above, Cut likes to convert LBs into DEs. We've also seen him turn Safeties into LBs and vise versa. So naturally, my curiosity turns to which if any of the incoming LBs, project as something other than a LB at the college level?

[devildeac]

Cut also has been known to turn linebackers into ends.

Man must be a magician. He turned me into an ardent fan (again).

At least he didn't turn me into a newt...

Wait, I thought it was only in Duke MBB that we didn't have "positions."

I'm done now. It's been a long time since we had a tipoff/kickoff/faceoff for any Duke sports. My medication is wearing off and I haven't had any counseling sessions for a while. Sept 3 is still a long time away...

[Indoor66]

Man must be a magician. He turned me into an ardent fan (again).

At least he didn't turn me into a newt...

Wait, I thought it was only in Duke MBB that we didn't have "positions."

I'm done now. It's been a long time since we had a tipoff/kickoff/faceoff for any Duke sports. My medication is wearing off and I haven't had any counseling sessions for a while. Sept 3 is still a long time away...

Careful there, you devilish cleric. Don't step on it...

[budwom]

many good points. I think Cut recruits players then figures where they go. I think the LB to DE conversions have primarily been because, frankly, until the last year or so we just have recruited well at
DE, so some of the slower LBs (Kyler Brown, McDonald, Williams) get switched to DE. Not ideal, but it makes sense while we wait for the more prototypical DEs to emerge, which I'm confident they will in a year or two.

We've got three really first rate LBs in the new class, so I wouldn't be surprised to see us adjust our alignment some. Humphreys is simply a player, whether he plays OLB or safety doesn't matter, he'll definitely play.

I'm really looking forward to seeing some of these guys play.

[Olympic Fan]

First, I think you are wrong to suggest that we run the 4-2-5 because we have had trouble recruiting linebackers.

Coach Cut genuinely believes that it is the best defense to combat the modern spread offenses with 3-4 receivers on the field. He's not the only one. The 4-2-5 is growing in popularity around the country.

He does move people around -- moving safeties to LB and LBs to DE a lot. You know who else used to do that? FSU under Bobby Bowden.

It's interesting that two of our top three LBs this year -- Norman and Holmes -- are converted safeties. The third, Carmichael, was recruited by many schools as a safety and many people thought he'd play that position at Duke. Obviously, four of our top five DEs -- Brown, Grier, Williams and McDonald -- are converted LBs.