As the football team prepares for its 2005 campaign, it’ll have to do so without four members of the 2004 recruiting class, each of whom has chosen to transfer from Duke after one season.
Wide receivers Chancellor Young and Corey Thompson, cornerback Daniel Charbonnet and offensive lineman Izzy Bauta were among the 24 recruits signed by head coach Ted Roof in his first full season at the helm of the Duke football program. Roof could not be reached for comment regarding why the four players chose to leave the Blue Devils.
Young, a high school All-American, was widely regarded as the best recruit in the 2004 signing class. The Woodinville, Wash., native saw playing time in all 11 games last season. In addition to contributing two receptions while positioned at wide receiver, he made eight tackles on special teams.
In a 2004 signing day press conference, Roof described Young as having “a great pedigree and a solid family.” The wideout’s father, Charles Young, was a first-round draft choice by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973 and played 13 seasons in the NFL. In 2004, Roof said that Young’s choice to sign with the Blue Devils gave the program “the stamp of approval for a lot of NFL players’ kids.”
It has been rumored that Thompson will be attending the University of Louisville in the fall, and Young will reportedly return to his home state to play at the University of Washington. Spokesmen from both schools refused to confirm the reports. Thompson declined to speak with The Chronicle regarding his plans for next year, and Young could not be reached for comment.
Texas Tech confirmed that Daniel Charbonnet is currently in Lubbock taking classes and will be a member of the Red Raiders in the fall, although as a transfer he must sit out this season because of NCAA rules. During his freshman season at Duke, the cornerback took the field in every game, logging 14 tackles and a fumble recovery for the Blue Devils. According to father Craig Charbonnet, the Woodlands, Texas, native’s decision to transfer was based largely on his overall experience at Duke.
“[Daniel] felt like the school, culture-wise, wasn’t a fit,” Craig Charbonnet said. “He wanted to go to a school that was a little more of a football school, even though he respected and liked the coaches at Duke.”
Charbonnet added that his son’s decision was not influenced by the choices of the other four players.
Izzy Bauta, who earned no playing time during his year at Duke, transferred to Villanova, a spokesman for the school confirmed. He is also taking classes this summer at his new university. The lineman’s older brother, junior Lavdrim Bauta, is an offensive tackle for the Blue Devils.
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