For the week leading up to Duke football’s 2013 Spring Game, the Blue Zone will be breaking down this year’s returning squad unit by unit to examine the key changes you’ll see for next year’s Blue Devils. Today we continue with the defensive backs, which we profiled further in Wednesday's Chronicle.
Key returners: redshirt senior cornerback Ross Cockrell and sophomore safety Dwayne Norman
Key departures: cornerbacks Tony Foster and Lee Butler and safeties Jordon Byas and Walt Canty
Now in the mix: redshirt sophomore safety Jeremy Cash and redshirt freshmen Corbin McCarthy and DeVon Edwards
2012 performance: Defending the vertical pass was definitely not one of Duke's strong suits in 2012. The Blue Devils gave up more than 260 yards through the air to opponents, often surrendering large chunks of yardage during critical stretches of games. While most college programs run a traditional defensive scheme with four starters in the secondary, Duke utilizes a 4-2-5, playing two cornerbacks and three safeties at a time. Oftentimes one or more of the Blue Devil safeties were forced to the play near the line of scrimmage in order to shore up a weak front seven that had trouble stopping the run. This left the remaining secondary in one-on-one coverage for much of the season against some of the nation's top passing attacks. The result—despite have five defensive backs on the field—Duke was susceptible to allowing big plays through the air.
The Blue Devils gave up more than 340 yards passing three times, giving up 50+ points in two of the games. Premier passing attacks like Clemson, Florida State and Miami had their way with Duke's secondary. And the Blue Devils only intercepted 11 passes on the year, although Cockrell had five of those 11 to lead the ACC.
Head coach David Cutcliffe acknowledged that defending explosive vertical pass plays has been one of the defense's primary focal points this spring. Opponents averaged 15-and-a-half yards per catch against Duke. Many of these big pass plays came on crucial third down or late game situations.
Season outlook: As of now, three spots in next year's depth chart are most likely filled. Cockrell will be the anchor at the top cornerback position, with Norman and Cash both starting at safety. McCarthy is currently slated as the third starter at safety, but the redshirt freshman is almost completely untested having played in just two games last season. It is also unclear who will fill the second starting cornerback position alongside Cockrell. The current depth chart lists DeVon Edwards as the probable starter, but unlike McCarthy, Edwards has yet to see any time on the field.
If producing a starting five that is game-ready is a challenge for Cutcliffe and his defensive staff, finding reliable depth in the secondary presents an even greater mystery. Coaches are high on incoming freshmen cornerbacks Evrett Edwards and Quan Mann, who are currently listed as second and third, respectively, on the depth chart. The three-star prospects should see significant playing time, although right now they are question marks in terms of adjusting to college-speed wide receivers. Fifth-year senior Garrett Patterson should also see time at cornerback, although the redshirt senior only saw limited action despite playing in all 13 games.
Previous unit breakdowns: Quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers
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