When Justin Kitchen was a freshman there was only one senior on the Blue Devil roster, leaving his class with few teammates to look up to. Now, Kitchen is one of 15 seniors offering assistance to a crop of talented freshmen.
The advantage of a strong freshman-senior relationship may be most evident on Duke’s defensive line this season, where seniors Phillip Alexander and Kitchen will serve as mentors.
“Guys have bought into what Coach is trying to do, what this program’s trying to accomplish,” defensive end Kitchen said. “And to have senior leaders that are preaching to the team as well as the coaches just helps the younger guys. They see what they have to do and look at us as examples of what they have to do.”
On the Blue Devils’ depth chart, five upperclassmen—all with starting experience—are on the first or second string. Backing them up and providing much-needed depth are the members of one of the most impressive defensive line recruiting classes in the nation and Duke’s best in decades.
“It’s definitely great—we have some depth there and quality depth,” Alexander said. “Things happen and injuries happen, so the more bodies you have the better.”
Injuries were the defensive line’s undoing last season. Four linemen missed significant time due to injuries in 2004, including Alexander and Brian Sallee, who will start at one of the defensive tackle slots this year.
The silver lining to last year’s injury problem is that Duke returns so many experienced linemen, even after moving defensive tackle Demetrius Warrick to the offensive line.
Alexander and Kitchen are two of three players with full seasons of starting experience at defensive end, along with junior Eli Nichols. Head coach Ted Roof considers all three to be starters, and says that they could spend time on the field together. Freshmen Ayanga Okpokowuruk, a four-star recruit according to Scout.com, and Clifford Respress will also get their chances.
“When I get my opportunity I have to produce and make plays,” Kitchen said. “I love playing with Phil, and I love playing with Eli, and I feel like we have a chance to produce and make plays no matter who’s in the game. I think my job is just to play guts out every play.”
The Blue Devils also have plenty of depth at defensive tackle. Casey Camero—who has two seasons of starting experience—will join fellow junior Brian Sallee in the starting lineup. Backing them up and allowing them to stay fresh is a squad of freshmen. The athletic Respress and 6-foot-6, 340-pound Joe Suder are listed as the primary backups, but Vince Oghobaase’s return from knee surgery—likely in the first few games of the season—will almost surely shake up the rotation.
Most expect Oghobaase, one of the top freshman defensive linemen in the country and the most highly-regarded recruit to choose Duke in years, to start very soon after his return.
“Coach is expecting a lot more,” Alexander said of the freshmen. “They are not really considered freshmen but just players.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.