Duke Blue Devils 2018 Football Preview

Duke Blue Devils 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: The reality about the Duke program is simply that all they have to do is finish at .500 and above, go to a bowl game, and most people will be happy. Expectations are never all that high, and Duke is not a program that is going to compete for ACC or national titles. We know that, and if the fan base that supports this program is good with it, than so should everyone else be. Duke is, and always will be, a basketball school, and even in an era where football and the money that comes with it is king, that will likely never change. So the question is, can Duke get to .500 and above and go to another bow, and be reasonably competitive? Probably so.

Breakdown Offense: Daniel Jones is back at QB, and is one of the more interesting QBs in a dual threat role that you will see, but he has to do a better job of morphing into a passer than he has done to date. Jones passed for 2691 yards, but tossed just 14 TDs to 11 INTs as a sophomore, his second full season in the job. He also completed just 56.7% of his passes on the year. He managed to rush for 518 yards and 7 scores, but averaged just 3.22 yards per carry. He is capable of more explosive play, and should provide better numbers this fall. If he stays healthy, I would expect him to take all of the snaps this fall, but if anyone does take any snaps, it will be Quentin Harris, who is also a junior.

Shaun Wilson has moved on at RB, leaving the job in the hands of Brittain Brown, who shared carries last season while rushing for 701 yards and 7 scores, while averaging 5.39 yards per carry. Deon Jackson, who rushed just 32 times last fall, to little effect, projects as the primary backup. Nicodem Pierre would likely be the 3rd back with Elijah Deveaux also in the mix.

The top three WRs return from last season in TJ Rahming, Jonathon Lloyd, and Chris Taylor. Rahming posted a line of 65-795-2, Lloyd posted 39-367-1, and Taylor posted 25-332-1. None of these returnees are particularly adept at spreading the field, so expect a short to mid-range passing game this fall. Aaron Young, Scott Bracey, and Keyston Fuller will provide some depth.

Daniel Helm, who caught 22 passes last season, is the returning starter at TE. Davis Koppenhaver is back as the primary backup, with Noah Gray returning as the 3rd team TE.

The line looks relatively set this fall, with Christian Harris (LT), Julian Santos (LG), and Robert Kraeling (RT) all set to start. Zach Harmon figures to start at either C or RG this fall, leaving only one real spot to be concerned with. Rakavius Chambers and Zach Baker could each fill in at OG, so Harmon makes more sense at C. Jaylen Miller provides some depth at OT.

Breakdown Defense: Last fall was a particularly good season for the Duke defense, which allowed just over 20 points per game, and allowed just 179.4 yards passing per contest.

Tre Hornbuckle starts at DE, and finished the year with 9.5 TFLs, and is a key piece off the edge. Victor Dimukeje starts at the DE spot opposite, and finished with 7.5 TFLs, making the edge a tough place to do business against Duke on either side. Drew Jordan and Terrel Lucas are the depth at DE, while Twazanga Mugala can add some help inside or out.

Trevon McSwain could rotate himself into a starting spot at DT this fall after finishing with 3 TFLs last season. One starting spot in the middle is open for the Blue Devils as we head to camp. Derrick Tangelo will be in the hunt for that spot as well. Edgar Cerenord starts at the other DT spot, and finished last season with 3 TFLs. Alex Nyembwe adds some depth there.

Joe Giles-Harris is the likely star in the middle of the defense for Duke this fall, as he returns to start at WLB after recording 125 tackles last fall. He added an impressive 16 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, one INT, 4 PBUs, and 6 QB hurries. He tossed in a forced fumble to boot. Koby Quansah fills in the MLB spot, and recorded 55 tackles last fall. Ben Humphries added another 70 tackles to the group, and is a force as well. Brandon Hill adds some depth at LB and on ST coverage. Xander Gagnon will be looking to add some reps as a sophomore.

The secondary, which was so good last season, returns Mark Gilbert at CB. He was a major lock down CB last fall with 14 PBUs. He was one of the national leaders with 6 INTs and finished with 35 tackles. Brandon Feamster is slated to start opposite Gilbert at CB, but could see some action at Safety as well.

The Blue Devils run a 3 Safety set, and will have Marquis Waters, Michael Carter, and Dylan Singleton slated to start as we leave spring ball behind. Singleton is the most accomplished of the group, as he totaled 42 tackles last fall. Jeremy McDuffie returns as well, and should actually boot one of those projected starters, if healthy. He finished with 58 tackles last fall, added 9 PBUs, and 3 INTs.

Breakdown Special Teams: Austin Parker is no longer around, and he handled both PK and P duties to a good deal of success a last season. That leaves both jobs wide open as we head into the fall. There are 5 PKs vying for work, and 2 Punters.

Deon Jackson takes over as the primary KR man, and Rahming returns at PR after averaging 7 yards per return.

Final Analysis: Duke football is primed to make some people realize that they downplayed the program for this season. The defense should be rock solid once again, as they have returned a very good amount of talent from a great unit a year ago. The offense is set to be very good, but they need some play makers to step in and explode for them, and I am not sure that those players exist on this roster. If the defense continues to make plays, they will make the offense look better than they are. Look for another solid Duke football season, and another bowl game should be on the horizon.