FB Offseason: General

[Bob Green]

A cornerback with size is great news! ESPN rates him at 3 stars and lists his 40 time as 4.71. Welcome to Duke!

It would be nice to land Mataeo Durant as we do not have a RB in the class to date. Another Sanford, NC recruit being pursued is RB Jahmir Smith from Lee County High School.

[JNort]

A cornerback with size is great news! ESPN rates him at 3 stars and lists his 40 time as 4.71. Welcome to Duke!

It would be nice to land Mataeo Durant as we do not have a RB in the class to date. Another Sanford, NC recruit being pursued is RB Jahmir Smith from Lee County High School.

A 4.7 40 time sounds awful for a corner. Is that normal?


Just checked and yeah that's bad. He should (and I hope) get faster but how much can he improve that by?

[jimsumner]

A 4.7 40 time sounds awful for a corner. Is that normal?


Just checked and yeah that's bad. He should (and I hope) get faster but how much can he improve that by?

I've seen him listed as a safety down the road.

That could be why.

[Olympic Fan]

A 4.7 40 time sounds awful for a corner. Is that normal?


Just checked and yeah that's bad. He should (and I hope) get faster but how much can he improve that by?

First, I wish we could move this discussion into the 2018 football recruiting thread (which is just 5-6 spots down from this one on the E-King Board).

Second, I wouldn't get to too upset about listed 40 times for high school kids. I'm not saying that speed -- best reflected in the 40 time -- is not important. Just that the times we see listed at 247, scout, rivals, espn, etc., are notoriously unreliable. Part of the problem is that there is no criteria -- are the kids measured in shorts on grass? On a track? With running shoes? With cleats? Hand-timed or electronically timed? Are the measured at the end of practice? Before practice?

So many variables that there may be little or no real difference between a 4.7 and a 4.5.

I trust Cut in the sense that this was a kid that Duke had in camp and they were able to measure using their preferred criteria. Does he have corner speed? Or will he end up a safety? I don't know.

But I do know this kind had offers from Virginia Tech, NC State, South Carolina and Purdue. They must have thought he was fast enough to play.

[gep]

I also remember hearing on a radio sports talk show a few years ago that there are coaches that "target" the combine... specifically the 40 time. Supposedly coaching technique to get the 40 time down. So... maybe the 40 time, if well coached, can look impressive "in a vacuum".

[chrishoke]

It's not quite another North Carolina guy, but just over the border at Richland, SC (which is actually in the center of the state), there is a 3/4 star running back named Mataeo Durant who will announce his college choice Saturday. Durant is 6-0, 183 and runs the 40 in 4.46. He's expected to choose between Duke and Virginia Tech, but he also has offers from West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Wake Forest, East Carolina and over a dozen smaller schools.

We got him! Welcome to Duke football Mataeo Durant!

[budwom]

A 4.7 40 time sounds awful for a corner. Is that normal?


Just checked and yeah that's bad. He should (and I hope) get faster but how much can he improve that by?

I believe it is safe to say that most of the 40 times that are listed for kids are meaningless...very few are legitimately timed.
So a 4.7, though not great, is not as bad as one might think...lots of 4.4s and 4.5s are bogus.

[OldPhiKap]

55 days until kick-off. We're getting there!

[Olympic Fan]

Nice recognition ---

Daniel Jones was just selected for the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Trophy

Ben Humphries made the preseason watch list for the Bednarick Award.

[Avvocato]

Nice recognition ---

Daniel Jones was just selected for the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Trophy

Ben Humphries made the preseason watch list for the Bednarick Award.

Thanks. Congratulations to both of them and nice job by the media to put each on the list. Well deserving.

[Bob Green]

Nice recognition ---

Daniel Jones was just selected for the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Trophy

Here is a link to an article at GoDuke.com:

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

Jones, a 6-5, 215-pound native of Charlotte, N.C., is one of two returning quarterbacks in the ACC to have produced 2,500 or more passing yards, 15 or more passing TDs, 450 or more rushing yards and five or more rushing TDs a season ago, joining Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, recipient of the 2016 Heisman Trophy.

[OldPhiKap]

Another great article by Bob Green on the front page.

I really think that Ben Albert may be the best addition to the staff in the last few years. I have high expectations for what he can get done over time. Having said that, defensive line is perhaps the biggest question mark for me this year.

[Olympic Fan]

Two more preseason nominees

Austin Kelly was picked for the preseason watch list for the Rimington Award (for the nation's best C)

Daniel Helm was picked for the Mackey Award preseason watch list (for the nation's best TE)

[chrishoke]

Two more preseason nominees

Austin Kelly was picked for the preseason watch list for the Rimington Award (for the nation's best C)

Daniel Helm was picked for the Mackey Award preseason watch list (for the nation's best TE)

Correction - should be Austin Davis.

[Olympic Fan]

Correction - should be Austin Davis.

D'oh ... thanks for the correction. I do that all the time.

[budwom]

Humphreys

[Bob Green]

Steve Wiseman on the two deep rotation:

http://www.heraldsun.com/sports/coll...161174558.html

The Blue Devils’ depth chart, put together after spring practice and made public on Thursday at the ACC Football Kickoff media event, features 22 sophomores or freshmen on the two-deep chart.

I looked over at GoDuke.com but did not find the whole two deep rotation posted. Hopefully Olympic Fan or Jim Sumner will post it here soon.

[chrishoke]

DukeDepthChart17.jpg

[Bob Green]

DukeDepthChart17.jpg

How many true freshmen break into the two deep? My money is on DE Drew Jordan to play immediately. RB Deon Jackson or Marvin Hubbard are possibilities as Coach Cutcliffe will look to rotate three or four running backs.

[chrishoke]

How many true freshmen break into the two deep? My money is on DE Drew Jordan to play immediately. RB Deon Jackson or Marvin Hubbard are possibilities as Coach Cutcliffe will look to rotate three or four running backs.

I think we will redshirt our highest percentage of freshmen ever for Duke. I really like the depth on our two deep.