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OZZIE4DUKE
08-22-2009, 09:57 PM
The only thing I took away from today's scrimmage was that I absolutely love the way that Sean Renfree throws the ball to his receivers. And true freshman Sean Schroeder is almost as good.

The QB job belongs to Thad Lewis, and rightly so at this point. He's very talented and has 3 years of experience, but next year could be really sweet.

Bob Green
08-22-2009, 10:17 PM
It sounds as if freshman running back Desmond Scott had a nice day:

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID4779636

OZZIE4DUKE
08-22-2009, 10:46 PM
It sounds as if freshman running back Desmond Scott had a nice day:

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID4779636
He caught several passes, but found little rushing room.

formerdukeathlete
08-24-2009, 12:15 AM
The only thing I took away from today's scrimmage was that I absolutely love the way that Sean Renfree throws the ball to his receivers. And true freshman Sean Schroeder is almost as good.

The QB job belongs to Thad Lewis, and rightly so at this point. He's very talented and has 3 years of experience, but next year could be really sweet.

Passing: Sean Renfree 11-18 (61%), 93 yards; Thaddeus Lewis 7-12 (58%), 86 yards; Sean Schroder 7-9 (78%), 61 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

In the prior scrimmage, Renfree also outplayed Lewis. Schroeder was 3 for 3.

Greg Paulus lost his starting job as a senior. So could Lewis. Cut has to play the qb who presents the best chance to win, or he is not doing his job. That starting qb may be Renfree. Could even be Schroeder if we need him to play and then he outplays.

Renfree winning the job this season - the chances may be greater than many think.

InSpades
08-24-2009, 12:56 AM
Passing: Sean Renfree 11-18 (61%), 93 yards; Thaddeus Lewis 7-12 (58%), 86 yards; Sean Schroder 7-9 (78%), 61 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

In the prior scrimmage, Renfree also outplayed Lewis. Schroeder was 3 for 3.

Greg Paulus lost his starting job as a senior. So could Lewis. Cut has to play the qb who presents the best chance to win, or he is not doing his job. That starting qb may be Renfree. Could even be Schroeder if we need him to play and then he outplays.

Renfree winning the job this season - the chances may be greater than many think.

"also outplayed"? Were you at the game? Cause going by statistics I'd say Lewis had the better game. 7+ yards per passing attempt vs. 5+ yards per passing attempt is a lot more significant than 61% to 58%.

Lewis was 2nd team all-acc and is being nominated for numerous QB awards this year. To think that he would lose his job is a pretty big stretch of the imagination. Possible? Sure. But it will take a lot more than a scrimmage to do it. Much more likely is that Renfree gets some snaps here and there this year while Lewis plays the vast majority of the time.

RainingThrees
08-24-2009, 02:46 AM
I think Thad is also a bigger threat using his legs than either Renfree, or Schroeder.

OZZIE4DUKE
08-24-2009, 08:32 AM
The only thing I took away from today's scrimmage was that I absolutely love the way that Sean Renfree throws the ball to his receivers. And true freshman Sean Schroeder is almost as good.

The QB job belongs to Thad Lewis, and rightly so at this point. He's very talented and has 3 years of experience, but next year could be really sweet.


Passing: Sean Renfree 11-18 (61%), 93 yards; Thaddeus Lewis 7-12 (58%), 86 yards; Sean Schroder 7-9 (78%), 61 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

In the prior scrimmage, Renfree also outplayed Lewis. Schroeder was 3 for 3.

Greg Paulus lost his starting job as a senior. So could Lewis. Cut has to play the qb who presents the best chance to win, or he is not doing his job. That starting qb may be Renfree. Could even be Schroeder if we need him to play and then he outplays.

Renfree winning the job this season - the chances may be greater than many think.


"also outplayed"? Were you at the game? Cause going by statistics I'd say Lewis had the better game. 7+ yards per passing attempt vs. 5+ yards per passing attempt is a lot more significant than 61% to 58%.

Lewis was 2nd team all-acc and is being nominated for numerous QB awards this year. To think that he would lose his job is a pretty big stretch of the imagination. Possible? Sure. But it will take a lot more than a scrimmage to do it. Much more likely is that Renfree gets some snaps here and there this year while Lewis plays the vast majority of the time.
I was at the scrimmage. Lewis did well, he had one really pretty "tough" completion, but Renfree, well, I just love the way he throws the ball - quick, on target, and easy to catch. I was sitting behind "the sports reporters" and one of them commented that Renfree has an NFL arm.

I expect that Renfree will get considerable playing time by design in the Richmond game, say playing the second quarter. Hopefully Lewis does well in the first quarter and we have a lead. Renfree needs to get game experience - remember he redshirted last year so it's been almost 2 years since he played in a game at any level. If Lewis plays up to expectations, and I certainly hope and expect he will, he'll remain the starter with SR getting a few series in each game. I'm hoping he does well too. Could he supplant Lewis as the starter as the season goes on? Sure, but only if Lewis falters or gets hurt. I wouldn't be surprised if Thad Lewis is the All ACC quarterback this year; I'm rooting for it!

To cross-polinate threads, I hope Greg Paulus has a phenominal year at Syracuse and leads them to a bowl game too, but I don't think he would have had a chance to beat out both (or either) Lewis and Renfree at Duke, and that's why Coach Cut told Paulus could try out at wide reciever but not QB. Syracuse doesn't have an All Conference 2nd team QB coming back like Duke does, they only have inexperienced freshman (one a red shirt) to beat out, and he did.

CameronBornAndBred
08-24-2009, 08:59 AM
I expect that Renfree will get considerable playing time by design in the Richmond game, say playing the second quarter. Hopefully Lewis does well in the first quarter and we have a lead. Renfree needs to get game experience - remember he redshirted last year so it's been almost 2 years since he played in a game at any level. If Lewis plays up to expectations, and I certainly hope and expect he will, he'll remain the starter with SR getting a few series in each game. I'm hoping he does well too. Could he supplant Lewis as the starter as the season goes on? Sure, but only if Lewis falters or gets hurt. I wouldn't be surprised if Thad Lewis is the All ACC quarterback this year; I'm rooting for it!

Cut has already said that Renfree will be playing a good bit, he doesn't want him taking the reigns next year without game experience. He has also stated that Thad is the starter. I think Ozzie is right in that the Richmond game would be great, and a dedicated quarter or two would really be nice. We all saw what happend when Lewis went down last year, so if it happens again this year we will be in much better shape, especially if #19 has some real game time under his belt.

formerdukeathlete
08-24-2009, 09:28 AM
Raining, Re "legs" - Renfree straight away speed - about 4.5 40, high 4.5, compares with Lewis about high 4.8. On a rollout, straight away, Renfree has a huge advantage. Lateral mobility, shuttle runs, well, i dont know. will check combine results which are not always accurate.

Ozzie, Re Paulus, i suggest what Lewis and Renfree both had some trouble with in Saturday's scrimmage, touch, timing, and throwing the swing pass, for example, may be Paulus' strong suit. Syracuse had a 150 play scrimmage on Saturday (Duke's was 65) it was closed to the press and general alums. But reports on the web by boosters suggest that Paulus and company may have put on an impressive display of the playbook. As you well know, there is more to playing qb than a pretty long ball. Touch, timing, accuracy, command of the playbook, being able to learn complicated schemes and make reads quickly. Paulus has impressed the coaches with his quickness as well - "surprising speed." Playing with a broken foot at Duke, broken hand, etc. Now on the Football field its a whole different ball of wax.

roywhite
08-24-2009, 09:50 AM
QB looks to be a strong position for the 2009 Devils, and likely will be so long as Coach Cut is at the helm.

We've got a productive, capable veteran in Thad who now will have some continuity in the offensive system; two very promising young backups; and then two more talented QB recruits in the class of 2010.

I'll trust Cut and staff to develop the talent and make good choices about how the playing time gets divided.

Olympic Fan
08-24-2009, 10:53 AM
It's kind of pathetic the dislike some on this board have for Thad Lewis. I can remember the long threads a year ago about how Zack Asack should be starting over him ... now it's Sean Renfree.

I guess the truism holds -- the most popular player on any losing team is the backup quarterback.

Renfree is going to be a fine QB, but unless Lewis gets hurt, he's not going to be the starter until next season. Reading scrimmage numbers and jumping to conclusions is silly. Yeah, Renfree had better numbers in the first scrimmage ... but did it take into account that Lewis was working against the first team defense, while Renfree went against a second team defense that was almost all freshmen? Does it take into account that wide receiver Donovan Varner had at least three flat-out drops of Lewis passes?

And when you are comparing Duke's open scrimmage Saturday to a closed Syracuse scrimmage ... well, you think Coach Cut and staff may have kept things a little vanilla (on both sides of the ball), just in case there might have been some prying eyes? I also suggest that it's a little silly to make judgments about Paulus' scrimmage performance in a scrimmage none us saw, based upon optimistic postings on a Syracuse message board.

As for me, what I liked most about Duke's scrimmage is the clear potential of a number of young players -- WR Connon Vernon is a stud, TB Desmond Scott looks good and defensively, LB Gamble, CB Greene and DT Drew are ahead of the curve. The worst thing I saw in the scrimmage (other than Vinny Rey limping off on a sprained ankle) were the number of true freshmen who appear to be vying for second team status. I counted 2 WR (Vernon and Watkins), 1 OT (Finison), 2 DT (Drew and Sarmiento), 3 LB (Gamble, Campbell and Glover), 1 CB (Greene) and 1 S (Canty) who appear to be playing on the second team A couple could be there because of injuries to guys ahead of them ... for instance, one reason that Drew and Sarmiento are second team DL could be the absence of Hazelton and Oglsby. But at least two of the three freshmen LBs are going to have to play and probably guys like Greene and Canty in the secondary.

All the freshmen are good for the long-term prospects of the program, but it's hard to see fulfilling Cut's bowl asperations this year with that many first-time players in the rotation.

formerdukeathlete
08-24-2009, 11:13 AM
........

.........Renfree is going to be a fine QB, but unless Lewis gets hurt, he's not going to be the starter until next season.

Lewis cannot be outplayed by a more gifted qb unless he gets hurt? Cut is not going to sit on his hands and play Lewis no matter what.

jimsumner
08-24-2009, 11:47 AM
Not to worry. Next year Renfree will be starting despite the fact that Schroeder clearly is the better QB.

Would it be churlish of me to suggest that wanting to bench the leading passing yardage returner in the ACC over indeterminate stats in a situational scrimmage one didn't actually see suggests a certain predispostion?

Duvall
08-24-2009, 12:01 PM
It's kind of pathetic the dislike some on this board have for Thad Lewis.


Let us not confuse one with "some."

jafarr1
08-24-2009, 12:02 PM
Renfree is going to be a talent, no doubt. He may even force his way into the starting role this year.

That said, Lewis has been consistently beat upon for years and I don't understand it. I'm shocked at just how eager some people seem to be to get him on the bench. We're talking about a three-year starter who (despite a mediocre offensive line, an injury that sidelined him for two games, and a top wide receiver slowed by a hand injury) was named second-team All-ACC last season. At any position besides QB, I'm guessing Duke fans are ecstatic about that kind of accolade.

I have no problem with people saying that the better player should get the job. I have no problem with people who are excited about the future with Renfree or Schroeder or the rest of the talented QB's that Cutcliffe is attracting. Really, what bothers me is that some people continue to show absolutely zero appreciation for Thad and seem to be actively campaigning to get him off the field. Either you want there to be competition for the position or you don't.

I have plenty of faith that Cutclifee will make the correct call; he knows a thing or two about QBs. Sit back and let it play out rather than trying to skewer Lewis at every opportunity. He's earned that much.

dpslaw
08-24-2009, 12:07 PM
After the Virginia Tech game last year, I thought this kind of stuff was put to bed. No such luck.

CameronBornAndBred
08-24-2009, 12:43 PM
That said, Lewis has been consistently beat upon for years and I don't understand it. I'm shocked at just how eager some people seem to be to get him on the bench. We're talking about a three-year starter who (despite a mediocre offensive line, an injury that sidelined him for two games, and a top wide receiver slowed by a hand injury) was named second-team All-ACC last season.
I am soooo looking forward to Thad taking at least one record this year, if not a couple. For all that he has seen on the team, all of the losses and the coaching changes, it would be great for him to come out with the recognition he deserves. It would also be fitting to prove that perserverance and persistance really are great character qualities to have, in a way they define him and the rest of the seniors on the team.

formerdukeathlete
08-24-2009, 02:14 PM
Not to worry. Next year Renfree will be starting despite the fact that Schroeder clearly is the better QB.

Would it be churlish of me to suggest that wanting to bench the leading passing yardage returner in the ACC over indeterminate stats in a situational scrimmage one didn't actually see suggests a certain predispostion?

wanting to bench....what....?


i dont mind having a predisposition to see the potential and look beyond the hype, positive of negative, and predict outcomes. Not right every time. So, i could be wrong. I assign a 50% probability that Renfree wins the starting job this season.

I said Paulus would play d-1 football.

I said Paulus would start.

I said the Lax players were innocent.

but what do i know?

jimsumner
08-24-2009, 02:56 PM
"In the prior scrimmage, Renfree also outplayed Lewis. Schroeder was 3 for 3.

Greg Paulus lost his starting job as a senior. So could Lewis. Cut has to play the qb who presents the best chance to win, or he is not doing his job. That starting qb may be Renfree. Could even be Schroeder if we need him to play and then he outplays.

Renfree winning the job this season - the chances may be greater than many think. "

I think the trend line is pretty obvious here. But let's consider it in context. Last year you innundated this board with the idea that David Cutcliffe was mistaken in starting Thad Lewis over Zack Asack because, in large part, Asack was taller. When a Lewis injury gave Asack a chance to substantiate your confidence, he put together two of the worst performances by a Duke quarterback in recent history. 12-31, for a whopping 81 yards.

Did I mention the 6 interceptions? Lewis had 6 picks in 361 attemps, Asack 6 in 48 attempts. Despite the fact that Asack, on paper, brought useful QB experience to the table, Duke fell all over themselves trying to find another position for him as soon as the season ended.

So, I don't think it's unreasonable to think that your credibility in the area of Lewis may not be all that great.

I think Sean Renfree has a great future at Duke. Someday he's going to be a great college QB. But Duke already has a great college QB, and he's a senior and he has more than earned the respect of the Duke fan base.

Duke has lots of question marks. OL, LB, depth, health. QB is not one of those.

For the record, a lot of us thought the Duke lacrosse players were innocent and said so early and often. I'm glad you agreed but fail to see the relevance to the question at hand.

jafarr1
08-24-2009, 03:11 PM
I'm glad I checked the board again before I posted. Jim covered most of my points in his usual excellent manner.

FDA, you may assign a 50% probability that Renfree will win the starting job, but your posts demonstrate a 100% certainty that he should ... as they did with Asack and Paulus and pretty much any QB remotely associated with Duke. You may try to shroud yourself in the cloak of a visionary, but the consistent theme on the topic of QB is "anyone but Thad".

formerdukeathlete
08-24-2009, 03:46 PM
..........

So, I don't think it's unreasonable to think that your credibility in the area of Lewis may not be all that great.

I think Sean Renfree has a great future at Duke. Someday he's going to be a great college QB. But Duke already has a great college QB, and he's a senior and he has more than earned the respect of the Duke fan base.

..........For the record, a lot of us thought the Duke lacrosse players were innocent and said so early and often. I'm glad you agreed but fail to see the relevance to the question at hand.

Just for the record, I was most likely the very first on this Board to say that the lax players were innocent, and faced considerable ridicule. I was first to say that Paulus would play d-1 football, and the first to predict he would start - and again faced ridicule. 2 things - i have contacts at other programs and knew this was coming at the time, and, in terms of evaluating qb talent, my track record is considerably better than you suggest. I was wrong on Asack's prospects. He had a similar freshman year and superior measurables, and during the 07 season when Lewis struggled, on the occassions Asack came in, we did not have the same struggles. How irrational of me to think a qb with a 4 inch height advantage and a big speed advantage might help compensate for the o line.

RelativeWays
08-24-2009, 03:52 PM
I think Renfree is great but I've seen nothing to make me question Thad as our starter. My ONLY criticism of Thad's game is he tends to throw high at times, but he's gained a lot better control of his throw through the years. He's a good decision maker, he can run if need be but he's way more of a pocket passer than a scrambler. its still humorous to remember that FDA kept insisting Asack was a better QB. Asack couldn't complete a pass over 10 yards if his life depended on it, unless its an interception. We could have really beaten VT up in Blacksburg if Thad had been QB, not Zack. I do regret that Zack is no longer on the team, but that was his decision to screw up again.

OldPhiKap
08-24-2009, 04:17 PM
Gee, the problem of having several talented QB's. I wish we had a head coach that knew something about that position.


I much prefer the old days when it didn't matter who we stuck out there. We knew the result regardless.

OZZIE4DUKE
08-24-2009, 04:28 PM
Gee, the problem of having several talented QB's. I wish we had a head coach that knew something about that position.


I much prefer the old days when it didn't matter who we stuck out there. We knew the result regardless.
Now that's a funny post! :D

Won't it be nice when the top QB's are lining up to come to Duke, knowing that the best of the best will be a 1 year starter - when he is a fifth year senior. And then he'll be a top draft pick and it was worth waiting for. Just like at the big name programs of today and yesteryear.

OldPhiKap
08-24-2009, 04:34 PM
Won't it be nice when the top QB's are lining up to come to Duke, knowing that the best of the best will be a 1 year starter - when he is a fifth year senior. And then he'll be a top draft pick and it was worth waiting for. Just like at the big name programs of today and yesteryear.

From your fingertips, to God's big monitor in the sky. . . .

Devil in the Blue Dress
08-24-2009, 04:58 PM
From your fingertips, to God's big monitor in the sky. . . .

It's a flat screen, isn't it?

airowe
08-24-2009, 05:12 PM
It's a flat screen, isn't it?

And it's blocking God's view through the hole in the roof ;)

jafarr1
08-24-2009, 05:33 PM
Just for the record, I was most likely the very first on this Board to say that the lax players were innocent, and faced considerable ridicule. I was first to say that Paulus would play d-1 football, and the first to predict he would start - and again faced ridicule. 2 things - i have contacts at other programs and knew this was coming at the time, and, in terms of evaluating qb talent, my track record is considerably better than you suggest. I was wrong on Asack's prospects. He had a similar freshman year and superior measurables, and during the 07 season when Lewis struggled, on the occassions Asack came in, we did not have the same struggles. How irrational of me to think a qb with a 4 inch height advantage and a big speed advantage might help compensate for the o line.

To sum up:
(1) You correctly predicted the lacrosse case, so you know a lot about QBs, and (2) even though you were wrong on Asack, you were actually right.

Noted.

formerdukeathlete
08-24-2009, 08:40 PM
I think Renfree is great but I've seen nothing to make me question Thad as our starter. My ONLY criticism of Thad's game is he tends to throw high at times, but he's gained a lot better control of his throw through the years. He's a good decision maker, he can run if need be but he's way more of a pocket passer than a scrambler. its still humorous to remember that FDA kept insisting Asack was a better QB. Asack couldn't complete a pass over 10 yards if his life depended on it, unless its an interception. We could have really beaten VT up in Blacksburg if Thad had been QB, not Zack. I do regret that Zack is no longer on the team, but that was his decision to screw up again.

except as a freshman all american when Asack threw for some big gains, including over 300 yards versus Clemson. BTW, we would have done better versus Va Tech had we not tried to install a triple option in a week.

RelativeWays
08-24-2009, 11:23 PM
Look at the bright side FDA, Thad is gone after this year and you won't have to insist that the 3rd string's best friend's sister's band teacher's grocery store cashier's uncle's neighbor's paperboy is a viable option instead of Thad at QB. You hate him, we get it and we don't care.
And the truth is, whether you like it or not, Asack had the ball under two minutes in Blacksburg down 7-3 with the chance for the biggest upset in recent Duke football history...and he tanked it. He was....inept and it fully concluded that he would never be the starter or even the back up for the team. If he wanted to maintain his starting position, then he shouldn't have done whatever it was he did. Thad > Zack. Thad > Greg Paulus and until proven otherwise, Thad > Sean Renfree and the other Duke QBS. Sean has my full support when he plays this year and when he most likely wins the starting job next year. Until then, this is Thads team.

formerdukeathlete
08-25-2009, 10:12 AM
Look at the bright side FDA, Thad is gone after this year and you won't have to insist that the 3rd string's best friend's sister's band teacher's grocery store cashier's uncle's neighbor's paperboy is a viable option instead of Thad at QB. You hate him, we get it and we don't care. ..........Thad > Zack. Thad > Greg Paulus and until proven otherwise, Thad > Sean Renfree and the other Duke QBS. Sean has my full support when he plays this year and when he most likely wins the starting job next year. Until then, this is Thads team.

nothing in my post implies hate, however, your hyperbole that Zack could not throw beyond 10 yards certainly implies distain on your part, and i think if you are indeed affiliated with Duke, did you not say that you are a tutor?, that you would not characterize any of these players in such a negative light, even if its with respect to their success or lack thereof on the playing field.

I challenge you to find an NFL scout that thinks Thad will stick in the NFL. Yet, i assert you will find a number watching very closely Greg Paulus this season. In this respect, through the eyes of trained professionals, Thad is not greater than Greg Paulus. As you know a number of things go into the equation. Reads, decisionmaking, intelligence, quickness, timing accuracy. In just about all of these, Paulus may be better.

Thad has had a wonderful career at Duke, this may continue this year, has obtained a Duke education, when on the face of his situation applying, an exception had to be made. We were Thad's best qb opportunity, and so it is. Renfree is on a whole different planet in terms of qb potential. My non-bandwagon assertion is that the better talent prevails. Thad dodged a bullet when Greg Paulus was denied a try out. There is another one coming his way, metaphorically.

jimsumner
08-25-2009, 10:17 AM
"I challenge you to find an NFL scout that thinks Thad will stick in the NFL."

Totally irrelevant to the issue at hand.

How many combined NFL passes were thrown by Leo Hart, Mike Dunn, Ben Bennett, Steve Slayden, and Spence Fischer?

Yet, they seem to have their moments in Duke Blue.

Thad's NFL future, or lack thereof, has no bearing on his effectiveness at Duke.

David Cutcliffe was offered the chance to have Greg Paulus at QB this season and declined. Somehow, I suspect he knows what he's doing.

sagegrouse
08-25-2009, 11:50 AM
I challenge you to find an NFL scout that thinks Thad will stick in the NFL. Yet, i assert you will find a number watching very closely Greg Paulus this season. In this respect, through the eyes of trained professionals, Thad is not greater than Greg Paulus. As you know a number of things go into the equation. Reads, decisionmaking, intelligence, quickness, timing accuracy. In just about all of these, Paulus may be better.

Thad has had a wonderful career at Duke, this may continue this year, has obtained a Duke education, when on the face of his situation applying, an exception had to be made. We were Thad's best qb opportunity, and so it is. Renfree is on a whole different planet in terms of qb potential. My non-bandwagon assertion is that the better talent prevails. Thad dodged a bullet when Greg Paulus was denied a try out. There is another one coming his way, metaphorically.

FDA, you are entitled to your opinion about Thad and his ability to help Duke this year. And a message board can have a wide range of subjects and opinions. Other threads, for example, have had (to my mind) a senseless debate as to whether one of the best college hoops coaches of all time can coach big men. (And I have a lot more to say on that subject.)

But surely, there is no one on this Board (or any board) questioning David Cutcliffe's ability to coach QBs. I believe, however, in "revealed preference" rather than public statements. How much Cut plays Lewis and Renfree will reveal his true views. Thad Lewis is the leader of the team and has Cut's full public support. But, we will see how the minutes are divided as the season begins. And you will have a chance to be proved right about Renfree.

FDA, I appreciate your comments and contributions to the Board. But on this issue, the Asack flame-out has caused me to discount your views. And, there was a play IIRC against Clemson last year, when Asack under little pressure had a wide open receiver ten yards downfield and threw the ball into the ground.

sagegrouse

Duvall
08-25-2009, 12:05 PM
and i think if you are indeed affiliated with Duke ... that you would not characterize any of these players in such a negative light, even if its with respect to their success or lack thereof on the playing field.

This may be the most hilarious post in the history of the DBR message boards. Bravo.

RelativeWays
08-25-2009, 12:42 PM
Was it ESPN or the Sporting News a couple of weeks ago that said Thad could start for a lot of top 25 teams, but doesn't have a top 25 o line this year? Any QB that has skill, talent and can run the pro formation offense that Cut loves to employ has a shot in the NFL. Not saying Thad will or won't be drafted, but he's got as good a shot as any QB we've since maybe Dave Brown. Renfree has game time this year and most likely 3 years of starting ahead of him to lead Duke to the next level. I may have been hard on Zack. I honestly hated to see him go because I thought he would have played well in the secondary, but it is what it is.

jafarr1
08-25-2009, 03:18 PM
Thad was the only ACC QB named to the Unitas Golden Arm watch list. CNNSI listed him as the best arm in the ACC in their preseason preview. ESPN's blogger named Thad one of the ACC's top thirty players. There are scatterings of other mentions in various other publications that I just don't have handy.

Paulus would have been a nightmare. You bring in a one-year QB who hasn't played for four years to challenge a well-regarded senior and a talented young QB who needs to get on the field. Who gets the snaps in practice? Who gets the playing time? Then there's the matter of distraction: all the media reporting would be about the Duke basketball player rescuing Duke football, when Duke football has been rescuing itself. As a Duke fan, I love Paulus, and in any other year, I can maybe see bringing him in. Not this year.

As for Renfree, he has an unbelievable upside. I'd easily rather see Renfree on the field for Duke than Paulus, because at least Renfree will be back next year. The question between Renfree and Lewis is: is the Renfree the better player for Duke right now? When the answer to that question is 'yes', he'll start. Until then, as Cutcliffe said, "I'd go to war with Thad Lewis."