Duke is coming off a 4-8 season after going to bowl games in the preview four season under head coach David Cutcliffe. They had their struggles at several positions but wide receiver will be a key one to watch, in hopes that more names will step up in 2017.
Last year, the offensive struggled at times moving the ball, especially in the passing game, as the Blue Devils really on had one main weapon to go to. Heading into this season, Duke has nice depth at the position but are now needing them to step up and become a bigger threat for quarterback Daniel Jones.
Junior T.J Rahming was the most consistent weapon Duke had, recording almost double the amount of receptions and receiving yards than any other receiver last year. However, he only recorded one touchdown and no other receiver recorded more than three touchdowns.
Heading into this season though, Rahming will once again be the go-to target for Jones, as they have developed a nice bond between the two. But Duke will be looking at senior Quay Chambers, junior Johnathan Lloyd, and junior Chris Taylor to step up in a big way. Lloyd and Taylor were two receivers that made impacts at time but never were the consistent weapon in the passing game the Blue Devils needed.
However, Duke will be looking for young receivers to step up as well and possibly become a big-time future name to remember in the passing game.
Sophomores Keyston Fuller and Aaron Young look to make their own imprint on the Blue Devil offense, with Young coming off a season in which he averaged 11.3 yards per catch and two touchdowns.
One redshirt freshman could be looking to have a huge impact on the field, as Scott Bracey was rated as one of the biggest recruit the Blue Devils have landed recruiting wise. Bracey was regarded by several national outlets as a 4-star receiver and one of the top wide receivers in his recruiting class.
Last year, Bracey suffered an early hamstring injury that sidelined him but he should be a name that could have an early breakout career for the Blue Devils and become a big target down the road.
In 2016, Duke averaged 239.8 yards per game passing, ranking them 9th in the conference. If they want to take a step-up, they will need these receivers to take the next step and become a more consistent target for Jones, a talent that should have Blue Devil fans excited.
