Last season, the Duke Blue Devils’ defense had their moments to shine but also had their struggles and heading into the 2017 season, a few starters help solidify some key positions but Coach Cutcliffe will be looking for others to step up.
Duke ranked 10th in the ACC conference in passing yards given up to opponents (239.8 yards per game) and 11th in rushing (174.9 yards per game). The Blue Devils return both linebackers from last year but will need to replace three starters in the secondary that accounted for 100 career starts.
At linebacker, they return junior Ben Humphreys and redshirt sophomore Joe Giles-Harris, a season in which Giles-Harris leads the team in total tackles returning (107) and Humphreys in sacks (4.5) (they combined for 213 tackles and 20.5 TFL last season). These two obviously will be counted on to bring the leadership and experience to the team, as they have combined for 26 starts.
Look for senior Zavier Carmichael and sophomore Koby Quansah to back up, both who have experience and should provide nice depth at that position.
On the other hand, unlike the linebackers, the secondary took some major hits. As mentioned before, losing Breon Border, Deondre Singleton, and Corbin McCarthy, who added up to 100 career starts, really hurts the Blue Devils and will need names to step up big in their place.
Bryon Fields Jr, a senior, lead the way at cornerback, while Mark Gilbert, a solid sophomore prospect from North Carolina, could step in nicely to replace Borders. Junior Jeremy McDuffie should also provide a little depth as well.
Alonzo Gilbert is the only safety starter to return from last season and should be the vocal leader. However, Jordan Hayes was able to back up and saw action in 10 games last year, gaining some critical experience at the position (recorded 24 tackles and earned the program’s co-Most improved defensive player award after spring practice in 2016).
Also look for redshirt sophomore Brandon Feamster to step in, as he is pegged early on as the other safety starter.
However, the secondary for the Blue Devils still has questions surrounding it in how they may look and how they can replace such an experienced group they had from last season.
The linebacker corps may be one of the strongest positions that Duke has heading into the season but look for teams to test the secondary early in the season.
