A busy off season which has featured some notable departures just added one more to the list as Duke offensive line coach Jim Bridge has resigned his position with the Blue Devils on Wednesday.
Bridge, who joined the Blue Devil coaching staff joined the program in 2016 after stints at Boston College and NC State, coached the offensive line the last two seasons. During that time the offensive line struggled.
This season the line struggled mightily in pass protection, and despite only giving up 28 sacks, was rated second worst in the nation in pressure allowed following the snap.
Duke fared slightly better in the running game, but the offensive line woes seemed to permeate the entire offensive scheme. Bridge had to juggle a line featuring a lot of younger inexperienced guys along with injuries.
No word yet on the reason for the resignation but the line was considered by many a weakness and a change may be necessary to help the Blue Devil’s offense, which will feature a new starting quarterback next season, right the ship.
The new offensive line coach will have some talent to work with, but improvements will be needed for Duke to get back to their recent winning ways.
One of the biggest gripes amongst Duke fans that isn’t about Zac Roper is that the offensive line has fallen apart since John Latina left. A lot of that is attributable to Matt Skura, Lucas Patrick, Laken Tomlinson and Takoby Cofiled leaving, but the consistent poor play has most fans wanting a new OL coach. Let’s take a look at that.
Remember when we had these guys on our line? Good times!
After Latina retired in 2016, Marcus Johnson took over the line. Johnson had been on the Duke staff since 2011, rising from a strength and conditioning coach all the way to OL coach. He stayed at Durham until the end of the 2017 season before going back home to Mississippi to coach at Mississippi State (which as an Ole Miss alum had to be awkward).
With Johnson out, Jim Bridge took over the line and everyone has been underwhelmed with the OL since. I can’t say whether that’s because of youth, lack of talent, lousy coaching, bad play-calling or all of the above, but I can say that it doesn’t seem like the line is doing well. The running game is inconsistent and the QB got sacked a lot as time went on. While Duke always starts well and finishes poorly, the line really fell apart as the season went on. So, why am I talking about this?
It turns out that Marcus Johnson may be available. Mississippi State just fired its coach which could make a lot of assistants available. If I’m Duke, I reach out to Johnson. We missed out on a reunion with Matt Luke after Ole Miss stupidly fired him and we can’t afford to miss out again.
Johnson has a hell of a resume. He played in the SEC, the Vikings drafted him in the second round in 2005 (49th overall selection) and played in the NFL until 2009. That’s the kind of guy a recruit should want to play for and learn from. If I’m Cut, I make a big push to get him to come back to Durham. We need him.
We’re continuing our discussion of next season by looking at Duke’s 2020 opponents. While the Blue Devils don’t have to play Clemson or Alabama, we do get a date with Notre Dame. Let’s burn the tape from 2019.
Duke starts off the season with three non-conference games against Middle Tennessee, Elon and Charlotte. I think Duke will win the first two, but don’t be surprised if the Blue Devils struggle against Charlotte. The 49ers went 7-6 in 2019 (and concluded the season with a loss in the Bahamas Bowl) and will probably roll into Durham with a lot of confidence. The 49ers QB will be a junior this year and ready to get a big win. What would be better than knocking off Duke in Durham? I’ll feel better about this game after knowing: a) who the Blue Devils start at QB; and b) how the offense performs with that new QB at the helm.
Let’s assume that Duke starts off 3-0. What happens when the Blue Devils go to South Bend? Probably not this
I’m putting money down on a loss. The Irish return a 5th-year senior at quarterback and went 11-2 in 2019 with a bowl win. Notre Dame absolutely slaughtered Duke in 2019. Let’s be realistic – best case scenario for Duke after the first 4 games is 3-1.
After that, the Blue Devils turn to the ACC schedule. The 2020 squad will face off against UVA, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, Pitt, Wake and UNC. Duke’s best chances for wins will be against Georgia Tech, NC State and Miami or Wake. UVA is a possible as is UNC, but neither are locks. God has ordained that Duke can’t beat Pitt, so let’s table that one and go through the conference schedule in more detail.
Georgia Tech is still adapting to a new system which gives Duke the edge, especially if the game is early in the season when the Blue Devils historically are at their best. NC State somehow managed to look worse than Duke in 2019 and that’s saying something. I watched a little bit of State this year and the QBs were underwhelming at best. If that continues, Duke is likely to pull out a win. State recently rearranged the offensive coaching staff and moved former Blue Devil OC Kurt Roper to RB coach, but I don’t think that will fix what’s been wrong with the Wolfpack of late. My money is on Duke.
As for Miami, Duke somehow managed to play well at the end of 2019 and get a win. Beyond the end to the season, Duke has played pretty well against Miami of late, earning wins in 2018 and 2019. Duke should have gotten a win in 2015, too (thanks, ACC refs) and managed a win in 2013.
If history is any guide, we should not be talking about Duke getting a win against Wake. They have owned the Blue Devils of late. But let’s keep things in context. The 2018 loss had a lot to do with injuries and the team being broken from the cumulative burden of everyone getting hurt who could get hurt. The 2019 loss somehow managed to get Duke going again and preceded the victory at Miami. Wake will be breaking in a new QB as their top two are leaving the school. So, basically, I’m telling you there’s a chance.
What about UVA? Much like with Pitt, Duke has been dominated by UVA since Mendenhall took over the Cavs. UVA will have a new QB, though, as Perkins is (finally) gone. My VA Tech fan friends all say that UVA without Perkins isn’t as strong of a team. I’ve had the same thoughts over the years – Perkins elevated that team beyond its talent level – and am glad to hear people who watching the Cavs a lot say the same thing. Let’s hope that assessment is correct and UVA takes a step back. If so, Duke could squeeze out a win. Plus, aren’t the Blue Devils due?
That brings us to UNC. Duke lost a game last year it should have won. The defense played well. They picked off Howell twice and held him to 10 completions on 26 attempts. The Blue Devils gave up a lot of running yards, but not a lot of points – the classic bend-don’t-break approach that has defined Duke for years. Given the rivalry, this game is winnable. That said, I’d put money on UNC right now. Depending on how the season goes, my assessment may change.
What about the rest of the schedule? I’m not comfortable saying Duke will repeat against Virginia Tech. Fuente turned the Hokies around after losing to the Blue Devils and Duke kind of gave up after that game. The teams seem to play better against one another on the road and the Blue Devils host this year.
My overall prediction for the conference is 4-4. I think 5 wins is the ceiling. As far as the season as a whole, I have Duke going 7-5 and possibly 8-4. I feel okay saying that Duke is 3-1 heading into the conference schedule. After that, Duke most likely picks up 4 more wins and finishes in the middle of the Coastal. I’m expecting struggles once the conference games start just like what we’ve seen every year with the exception of 2013 (and another 5-7 season wouldn’t stun me). That said, if the Blue Devils can go 7-5 with a third quarterback in three seasons and get back to a bowl game, I’d be real, real pleased.
Thoughts? Agree? Disagree? What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.
I’m not a huge fan of the All-Decade discussions. I generally find them to be clickbait – a cheap attempt to bring traffic to your site. However, I have been pretty impressed with the work that Duke Maven has done of late. Go over and check out the lists. It’s worth the time.
That got me thinking about some All-Decade stuff that would be worth putting together and I landed on a list of the best teams from the 2010s. “Best” here means the teams that had the biggest impact on the program’s legacy, not the most talented. Here’s what I put together. The order is from least best to best:
Number 5 – 2014 team. The Blue Devils couldn’t pull off another Coastal win, but did finish 9-4 with a loss in the Sun Bowl. Duke beat Wake to cap the regular season and brought the construction equipment onto the field after the game. Two missed field goals by Ross Martin against Virginia Tech kept Duke from getting to 10 wins. This team was ranked for four weeks, but an inconsistent offense kept the Blue Devils from doing more this season. A thumping by UNC after the loss to Tech didn’t help, either. Duke closed the regular season at 9-3 overall, 5-3 in conference and lost three of its last four games. The rehab of Wallace Wade began at the end of the season. This team closed out old Wallace Wade and ushered in a new era of Duke football.
Number 4 – 2015 team. DUKE WON A BOWL GAME! This team wasn’t bad despite getting a new quarterback in Thomas Sirk. He wasn’t great, but he would rise to the occasion and make big plays when he needed to. Duke finished the regular season at 7-5 and 4-4 in conference with a terrible November (sound familiar?). After losing to Miami on Halloween on an admittedly incorrect review at the end of the game, the Blue Devils fell apart. They got demolished by UNC (66-31) and then lost to Pitt and Virginia. Duke bounced back with a 27-21 win over Wake and got to the Pinstripe Bowl where they managed the program’s first bowl win in a mere 54 years. The Blue Devils won a thrilling 4 OT game against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and were ranked as high as 22 before the Miami debacle. The Tech game was something else as is shown below
Number 3 – 2018 team. I’ll admit that an Independence Bowl win doesn’t normally get ranked this high at other schools. Nor does a team that got whipped by Wake 59-7 to close out the regular season. But you have to remember just how many injuries this team had that season. It seemed like someone got hurt every day. Daniel Jones missed time and was rushed back too soon and ran a one-dimensional offense against Virginia Tech (a brutal loss). Duke also lost all-world corner Mark Gilbert to a dislocated hip against Northwestern. Cerenord, Quansah and Carter and many, many others missed time that year. I think around 15 starters missed time. TDD had a great podcast that detailed just how much time players missed due to injury. I think it came out to Duke missing about 1/3 of its team for the season.
Despite that, Duke did some good things. The Blue Devils had a 6-0 lead over eventual national champion Clemson at the end of the first quarter (who cares about the rest of the game?). Duke got ranked once and had nice wins against Georgia Tech, Miami and a third-straight against UNC when Daniel Jones just couldn’t be stopped (I was at the game and he took it to another level).
Highlights aside, this will always be a “what if” year for Duke. The bowl win was also nice, especially after the disaster against Wake. And, let’s not forget that this team gave us Deon Jackson breaking the U against Miami
Team 2 – 2012 team. 6 wins, a bowl game and Duke brought home the Victory Bell for the first time since 2003! Who cares if the Blue Devils finished with a sub-.500 record and lost 5 straight to close out the year? This season made Duke relevant for the first time since 1995 which was the last time the Blue Devils were in a bowl game. This team made going to bowls the expectation. And I loved it every minute of it. Sure, it stunk to lose 5 straight after starting 6-2, but it was a lot of fun. And I say this despite being at the bowl game, thinking Duke won it and then suffering through the horrendous loss.
Team 1 – 2013 team, obviously. ACC Coastal champs!!! What else do we need to say??? How about the DeVon Edwards game against NC State?
This season had it all. 10 wins, 6 conference wins, beating Virginia Tech at Tech in one of the ugliest games ever, beating UNC and a lot of happy moments. This is Cutcliffe’s crown jewel at Duke. It was a hell of a ride.
The 2010 decade was, by far, the best decade for Duke football. Let’s hope the next decade is even better. Go Duke!
Sorry for being a little late on this one, but the holidays and all…
Just in time for Christmas, Duke got a late recruiting Christmas gift when it managed to flip offensive lineman Addison Penn from BC. Penn is a 6-4/275 center from Southlake, Texas. He committed to BC in June, but decommitted in December. Not long after that, Penn signed at Duke.
This is a good pickup for the Blue Devils, no question about it. What can Penn do? While 247 has him as a 3-star, his highlight reel looks impressive. You can see Penn’s experience with a read-option which is Duke’s base offense (other than runs right up the middle). That will come in handy for whoever is the starting quarterback next year (which is likely to be Luca Diamont since he enrolled early).
In addition to what you see on film, Penn received a first-team all district selection in 2018 which tells you he knows what he’s doing. Will he play this season? It’s possible, but we doubt it. It’s more likely that he starts picking up a lot of playing time in 2021. Why? Let’s examine the roster.
Duke currently has three centers, but starter Jack Wolbaugh is headed into his senior year as is reserve Liam Smith. Factor in Will Taylor, a rising redshirt junior, being on the backside of his time in Durham and you can see how quickly Penn will get an opportunity to play. We expect him to redshirt next season and to get significant playing time after that.
Keep on eye on Penn. We’re hoping he’ll be the next Matt Skura.
The Blue Devils picked up a graduate transfer at the end of the work week. Safety J’Marick Woods will be leaving Michigan to come to Durham. Woods is a 6-3, 210 pounder from Alabama. He came out of high school as a 3-star recruit and had offers from Michigan, LSU, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and, of course, Duke. He played sparingly at Michigan.
The addition of Woods adds depth to the secondary which the Blue Devils always need. The defense under Cutcliffe has typically been a 4-2-5 and there are never enough corners and safeties on the roster. Having Woods may also add another player to the kicking teams. Woods may play there or it may free someone else to play there more. Given how important special teams will be to a team starting a third QB in three seasons, we can’t say enough about how important the kicking game will be.
Welcome to Durham, J’Marick. We’re hoping for a great season from you in 2020!
Duke had a productive National Signing Day signing 16 targets on Wednesday, a good haul albeit slightly smaller than normal.
The Blue Devils signed players from the normal recruiting grounds of Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina while reaching out to California, Alabama, and Massachusetts. All of the prospects signed were rated 3-star recruits according to 247-Sports ranking Duke 11th in the ACC and 56th nationally.
The likely prize of the class is quarterback Luca Diamont, a dual threat Quarterback out of Los Angles. Diamont is a 6-3, 185 pounder. He is likely to be the Blue Devil’s quarterback of the future but will likely need a year to two of grooming and strength training.
Duke added some possible weapons for Diamont signing wide receivers Jontavis Robertson (6-foot, 180 lbs), Malik Bowen (6-foot-2, 180 lbs) and Nicky Dalmolin (6-foot-4, 215 lbs ). They also added tight end, Cole Finney (6-foot-6, 240 lbs).
The Blue Devils also landed two athletes in Jaylin Stinson (5-foot-8, 160 lbs) and Da’Quan Johnson (6-foot, 190 lbs) who had committed to Troy before decommiting on Monday and declaring for Duke following his visit on Dec. 6.
Duke added lineman on both sides of the ball including offensive linemen Graham Barton (6-foot-5, 300 lbs), Calib Perez (6-foot-5, 270), and Gary Smith (6-foot-2, 310 lbs). Adding to the defensive line are Michael Reese (6-foot-4, 260 lbs) and Aeneas Peebles (6-foot-2, 265 lbs).
Rounding out the additions on the defensive side of the ball include linebackers Dorian Mausi (6-foot-2, 215 lbs), Christian Hood (6-foot, 205 lbs) and Ryan Smith (6-foot-2, 200 lbs). The Blue Devils also signed safety Isaiah Fisher-Smith (6-foot, 200 lbs).
Barring any transfers, this will be a solid, if not great class, though David Cutcliffe has been able to find success with 3-star recruits in the past. There has also been talk that Duke may add some more recruits between now and February. Stay tuned!
Heading into the 2019 season, there were a lot of question marks for Duke, but the one certainty there was that the Blue Devils would be solid upfront.
Sophomore defensive end Chris Rumph II who showed promise as a freshman didn’t suffer any slump in his second year in Durham en route to earning spot on Sport’s Illustrated Second Team All-American honors.
Rumph a 6-foot-3 defensive end out of Gainesville, Florida, helped anchor the Duke defensive front recording 19 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Rumph was a force all season but saved his best for last netting 8 tackles, 5 solo and recording 3.5 sacks in the season finale against Miami.
Just the third defensive player to earn All-American Honors at Duke, Rumph is the first defensive player since Jeremy Cash who garnered the honors back in 2015.
With two years of eligibility remaining, Rumph is sure to be a stalwart on the Blue Devils’ defensive front.
Besides being named Second Team All-American, Rumph also was named to the All-ACC third team.
What can Smith do? A little bit of everything. His junior year highlights show how capable he is. He can run, catch and block kicks on special teams. Given how important special teams will be for Duke next year as the Blue Devils break in a new starter, a player like him could be important.
How did Duke get him? Well, the Blue Devils got him over competition from Air Force, Akron and three Ivy League schools. It may not be like taking a guy from the SEC, but with a small recruiting class and the need to replace Koby Quansah, you have to take guys who show an ability to make plays. Also, given what success Duke has had with folks from Georgia making plays on special teams and defense (DeVon. Edwards.), it’s always good when the Blue Devils pick up a player from the Peach State.
(This article was written before Ryan Smith committed. We will add a piece about him later.)
Currently, Duke has a pretty small recruiting class that totals all of 12 people. In advance of National Signing Day, let’s get to know the class a little better.
The gem of Duke Gang 2020 is, without question, Luca Diamont. We’ve discussed him before. Diamont is a three-star quarterback who can run, throw and do seemingly everything. He’s a dual-threat quarterback and at 6-2/180 has good size, though will need to pickup some weight.
Having watched his senior season highlights on Hudl, what I found particularly interesting is his ability to throw on the run. Given Duke’s difficulties on the OL this season and the coming changeover, making plays outside the pocket will be a necessity for him. Take a look at Diamont here.
The kid is impressive. He has a strong arm and the ability to throw deep. If Duke can remember how to do that next season, the Blue Devils offense may be fun again.
The next highest rated player is Graham Barton, a 6-5/300 pound offensive lineman from Tennessee. Barton joins Calib Perez, an offensive tackle from Texas as Duke’s only incoming linemen.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Blue Devils recently picked up Gary Smith. Like Barton, Smith is a Tennessean. He chose Duke over Virginia Tech and looks poised to make a big impact in the coming years. Smith also plays on the OL at times – 247 has him listed at both positions in different spots. I’m not sure where he will play at Duke. Learn more about him at Hudl.
Other top prospects include Malik Bowen (WR), Michael Reese (DT) and Dorian Mausi (OLB). Of these three, I’d expect Mausi to have the best shot at playing early. Duke’s a little thin at LB and while Mausi is a little undersized, he has a real motor, gets after the quarterback and makes good decisions. His senior highlight reel is here.
The Blue Devils have a lot other talented players coming in. There have also been some other offers of late. Specifically, Duke offered Addison Penn (OL), a BC commit. Duke is also looking at Jontavis Robertson, a WR from Georgia. The Blue Devils have found a lot of good players from Georgia over the years (the Singletons, DeVon Edwards, etc.), so let’s hope this works out, too.
Finally, Duke is making a play for Ger-Cari Caldwell, a WR from Rock Hill, SC (Rock Thrill, baby!). Caldwell is a little thin at 6-4/192, so expect him to redshirt if he comes to Duke, but his highlight reel shows how good he is at running WR screens. That ability makes him the perfect Blue Devil WR.
While the class is small, it may grow. Duke Maven has a lot of good coverage on the class and some outstanding offers. Take a look when you can.
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