FB Offseason: General

[richmclean]

Some of Duke's players were in the top ten of their position: (team noted based on number of position per team)
Daniel Jones - 4th QB, 4th team
Shaun Wilson - 6thT RB, 3rd team
T.J. Rahming - 10th WR, 4th team
Daniel Helm - 5th TE, 5th team
Evan Lisle - 8thT OT, 4th team
Austin Davis - 3rd OC, 3rd team
Mike Ramsay - 10th DT, 5th team
Ben Humphreys - 9th LB, 3rd team
Bryon Fields Jr. - 7th CB, 4th team
Austin Parker - 8th P, 8th team
Shaun Wilson - 3rd RS, 3rd team

Other notes:
- Daniel Jones and Daniel Helm were 1 vote from moving up to a higher team.
- Alonzo Saxton II was 2 votes from top 10
- GT had 3 RBs receiving votes
- Clemson and FSU both had 2 WRs in top 9
- FSU had 2 OTs in top 6
- Clemson had 2 OGs in top 10
- FSU had 2 DEs in top 7
- Clemson had the top two DTs
- FSU had 3rd and 4th DTs
- Miami had 2 DTs in top 8
- FSU had 2 LBs in top 8
- VT had 2 CBs in top 6
- FSU had 3 Safeties in top 9

As expected FSU and Clemson had the deepest squads. While being shut out of the top 10 in OG, DE and S, Duke had 11 top 10 picks with 3 (Wilson, Davis and Humphries) on the 3rd team and 4 on the 4th team.

[Dukelogger]

Are an improved kicking game and an experienced qb that should be much better at protecting the football.
If you look back at the WF, NW, and UVA games, some very costly DJ turnovers (WF and UVA, oof) and missed fg's were just blatantly the reason we lost. I was at all three games, and the silver lining was that you knew DJ was young and would get much better, and you knew that Cut would go recruit a PK and at least have solid competition for the spot headed into the fall of 2017. There was even a costly missed fg vs GT, a blocked fg returned for a td vs VT and a bad miss on what could've been a huge fg vs Louisville, but with those games it didnt seem to be almost squarely the reason we lost.
As a fan, I always play the shoulda-woulda game, and in Cut's tenure I tend to give us the benefit of the doubt in close games (rightfully so) but last year we had those two factors early in the year that were detrimental to so many critical drives in some close games, and those are two things I dont think I have to be optimistic about, because I fully expect them to improve (little more bullish on DJ's maturity and ball security than the kicking game, but Cut sent a message loud and clear in the offseason.)

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

DevilInBlueDress should be a charter member as well. She and Bob leave the rest of us in their wake.

Count me in!

Thank you kid, Sir! Football and our stadium have long been important to my family. My father was a freshman who attended the first game on Oct. 5, 1929. He proposed to my mother at the Pitt game in 1938. I grew up slipping round the chain link fence which set the boundaries of the students section for years and continued sitting there for my undergraduate years. I have high expectations for Duke football!

[Bob Green]

Bob, your optimism here might be a bit in check, but it still shines through!

Thank you! I try to keep an even keel at all times.

T.J. Rahming has been named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List:

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...DB_OEM_ID=4200

The award is given annually to the nation’s outstanding college receiver by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation. The selection marks Rahming’s first on a preseason watch list.

Gabe Brandner has been named to the Wuerffel Award Watch List:

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...DB_OEM_ID=4200

The award, known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service,” is presented annually by the All Sports Association in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from the University of Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy is awarded to the FBS player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

Daniel Jones has been named to the Davey O'Brien Watch List:

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...DB_OEM_ID=4200

The honor is presented annually to the nation’s top quarterback by the Davey O’Brien Foundation. The selection marks Jones’ first year on the preseason watch list.

[jimsumner]

Shaun Wilson named to Doak Walker watch list.

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...DB_OEM_ID=4200

[Olympic Fan]

I had an interesting conversation with another guy who covers Duke football.

He shares my muted optimism for this year's team. It should revive the bowl streak and could win as many as 7-8-9 games, depending on the breaks.

But his point was that this year is just a stepping stone -- Duke will really take a step forward in 2018.

Looking at the roster, I see his point. Obviously, lots of things could change in a year -- this time last year, when though we would have to replace a two-year starter at QB with a relativey untested redshirt sophomore. An injury or a dismissal could change a lot.

Still, looking at the roster, I don't see many holes going forward. The only top skill player we'll have to replace is Shaun Wilson, but we'll have a ton of running backs competing for that spot. The only
WR we lose will be Quay Chambers. All he tight ends will be back. Of course, Daniel Jones will be back at QB.

There will be some work on the OL -- Lisle, Davis and Brandner graduate (as well as veteran backup Korona). But we have a bunch of talented youngsters who should be ready to play -- we have three four-star OL in the redshirt freshman class and that doesn't count Julian Santos, who will be starting as a true sohomore. Good chance that Kraeling, Miller and Smith will be ready to start as redshirt sophomores.

Defensively, we're trying to rebuild the DL this season with a bunch of talented kids. They'll only be better next year. The only senior in the rotation is Mike Ramsey. Xavier Carmichael is the only senior at LB and it's possible he won't be in the two-deep.

We lose Fields at corner and Saxton at safety, but a ton of promising young guys are back in the secondary.

Okay, Cut has to fix the kicking game this year to carry over into next year, but just two longshot candidates for the kicking job are seniors (walk-on Will Kline, and a fifth-year senior transfer from Tufts)

I think my friend is right -- as promising as this season is, next year should be even better. I just checked and the schedule is almost exactly the same (Army, Northwestern, Baylor, NCCU OOC; we replace FSU with Clemson for our Atlantic wild card).

NOTE: I had lunch with Gary Stokan, who runs the Peach Bowl and promotes games in Atlanta. We were taking about Daniel Jones and the chance he might go pro a year or two early. Stokan definitely wants to see Jones stick around, because he's got Duke and Alabama in Atlanta to open the 2019 season. Not so much a mismatch if Duke has a fifth-year senior NFL prospect at QB.

[Bob Green]

He shares my muted optimism for this year's team. It should revive the bowl streak and could win as many as 7-8-9 games, depending on the breaks.

I agree with you and your friend. Cautious optimism is my choice term for 2017 because we need to see the youngsters convert potential into production on the field. There will certainly be a hick-up or two along the way but a return to post season action is certainly doable.

I think my friend is right -- as promising as this season is, next year should be even better. I just checked and the schedule is almost exactly the same (Army, Northwestern, Baylor, NCCU OOC; we replace FSU with Clemson for our Atlantic wild card).

I certainly desire to enjoy 2017 taking advantage of the whole "stop and smell the roses" thing; however, the possibilities for Duke football in 2018 and 2019 are certainly worth getting excited about.

[Bob Green]

Duke football is giving me a birthday present:

Duke Football‏Verified account @DukeFOOTBALL 23h23 hours ago

Another sign 🔵😈🏈 is close to returning -- Meet the Blue Devils Day scheduled for August 19.

The grandson and I will be there!

[jimsumner]

There's an old joke. Coach of rebuilding team tells fans "we have talented players and we have experienced players. The problem is, they aren't the same people."

Duke has that kind of team this season, a team with upperclassmen behind underclassmen.

A redshirt senior QB (Boehme) behind two redshirt sophs.

A redshirt junior QB (Pierre)converted to RB fighting to hold off two redshirt freshmen for backup carries.

A redshirt senior WR (Chambers) and redshirt junior WR (Lee) probably ranking 7th and 8th in the WR rotation.

Three upperclass OL reserves (Korona, Harris, McNeil) trying to hold off redshirt freshmen to make second team on the depth chart.

A senior linebacker (Carmichael) who played a lot as a true freshman who looks like he's going to be a third-team LB as a senior, behind a true sophomore and likely a redshirt freshman or two.

A redshirt junior corner (Muniz) behind a bunch of freshmen and sophs.

Some recruiting misses, some mis-evaluations, some injuries, some dismissals.

So, for Duke to be good this season, guys like Julian Santos and Scott Bracey and Tre Hornbuckle and Koby Quansah and Antone Williams and somebody who can make a field goal and a host of others are going to come up big.

[Bob Green]

So, for Duke to be good this season, guys like Julian Santos and Scott Bracey and Tre Hornbuckle and Koby Quansah and Antone Williams and somebody who can make a field goal and a host of others are going to come up big.

Brandon Feamster. Brittain Brown.

[peloton]

DevilInBlueDress should be a charter member as well. She and Bob leave the rest of us in their wake.

Thank you kind, Sir! Football and our stadium have long been important to my family. My father was a freshman who attended the first game on Oct. 5, 1929. He proposed to my mother at the Pitt game in 1938. I grew up slipping round the chain link fence which set the boundaries of the students section for years and continued sitting there for my undergraduate years. I have high expectations for Duke football!

Of course, there are many more (eternally) optimistic Duke football fans that post on DBR that either a) I couldn't remember...could be an age thing (okay, it's definitely an age thing), b) I haven't met yet at a pre-game tailgate, or c) I basically have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing they're supremely qualified to be in this "elite group" (such as Jim Sumner and KillerLeft...welcome to the club by the way).

But yes indeed OPK, Devil in the Blue Dress who I have met at a pre-football game social gathering (that makes it sound almost respectable ) certainly deserves to be included in this group. A pox upon me for being so daft, DITBD!

[DangerDevil]

Following Hugh Freeze's interesting departure, former Duke Offensive Coordinator Matt Luke named interim Head Coach at Ole Miss.


https://www.si.com/college-football/...rim-head-coach

[Merlindevildog91]

Matt Luke is the interim head coach, as Hugh Freeze resigns at Ole Miss. Allegedly his university-issued phone made a call to a number associated with an escort service.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...w-information/

Think they miss Coach Cut now?

[Indoor66]

Matt Luke is the interim head coach, as Hugh Freeze resigns at Ole Miss. Allegedly his university-issued phone made a call to a number associated with an escort service.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...w-information/

Think they miss Coach Cut now?

Maybe it got too cold for Hugh?

[OldPhiKap]

Maybe it got too cold for Hugh?

Press release photo of the old and new coach:

IMG_0440.JPG

[sagegrouse]

Maybe it got too cold for Hugh?

Yes, the suggested penalty by the Ole Miss brass was to take cold showers every evening.

[Bob Green]

My season tickets arrived today! Now I am going to start counting the days.

38

[chrishoke]

My season tickets arrived today! Now I am going to start counting the days.

38

Must rush home!

[budwom]

Mine are always late, I think the Duke dirigible has trouble navigating hilly regions. I'm always amazed by how much crap they cram in the package.

[Bob Green]

Mine are always late

Shipping priority is based on how long you have been a season ticket holder, oh wait...never mind!