When defensive linemen Vince Oghobaase and Ayanga Okpokowuruk graduated this past May, Duke’s traditional 4-3 defensive alignment went out the door with them. The duo were two of the Blue Devils’ strongest defensive players up front, yet even with them the squad ranked 74th in the FBS against the run. It was clear that something needed to change.
That transformation came this offseason, when defensive coordinator Marion Hobby and head coach David Cutcliffe decided to overhaul their strategy for the defensive front seven by abandoning a four-linemen system for a more dynamic 3-4 scheme. They hope to be able to use the new look to attack the opponent’s offense in different ways.
“As a coach you’re always going to look at personnel, and the guys here fit that package a little bit more,” Hobby said. “We’ve got to get our best 11 on the field, and they happen to be more linebackers than linemen.”
While the 3-4 seems like the right move on paper, such a drastic change can be difficult to implement. Luckily, even though some in the defense had played in the 4-3 for three years, the players were open to the change, and many threw themselves into preparations over the summer.
“We’re often asking our players here as coaches, how do they feel about [decisions],” Hobby said. “One thing’s for sure, none of us are going to play. We want to make sure they’re okay with what we’re doing.”
Redshirt junior nose tackle Charlie Hatcher and senior defensive ends Wesley Oglesby and Patrick Egboh faced some of the biggest challenges, as each needed to learn how to handle extra blockers.
“It’s a little bit different working inside,” Egboh said. “Everything’s a lot faster and the guys are a lot bigger. But I think the guys are adjusting to it pretty well. They’ve given us a lot of reps and more practice. It’s becoming easier and easier for us.”
While the defensive linemen find themselves in bigger roles individually, the new scheme undoubtedly reflects an aspect of Duke’s program that has become increasingly prominent throughout the past couple of years: Speed.
“This really allows us to showcase our speed,” Hatcher said. “We either have another linebacker or a hybrid defensive end which lets us play faster and more aggressive.”
Given that Cutcliffe has placed such a premium on speed in recruiting, any system that showcases that athleticism should play right into Duke’s hands. Already it has paid dividends as sophomore Austin Gamble, a Cutcliffe recruit, has claimed a starting spot. Joining him will be the senior trio of Damian Thornton, Adam Banks and Abraham Kromah.
“I think that when you have a lot of big linebackers on your team it really helps you,” Hobby said. “We’ve done a really good job, we’re a faster team than we’ve been in the past, we’ve got some [veteran] guys up front with some good size on them that can really play in this conference.”
For Duke to be successful this year, they will need every bit of that size. In Georgia Tech, Navy and Virginia Tech, the Blue Devils will face three of the nation’s top-14 running attacks from a season ago. Especially with a new quarterback and a running game still looking to find its legs on offense, the margin for error could be alarmingly small.
Thankfully for the Blue Devils, they have seniors in key spots to help pull them through the adversity of their new system and new personnel.
“When you have some of the guys here that have played a lot of ball, when you have a Damian Thornton, Patrick Egboh, a Charlie Hatcher and a Wesley Oglesby, it helps,” Hobby said. “We don’t have a lot of seniors, but we have them in the right spots, which makes all the difference.”
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