With Duke football kicking off spring practice this week, The Chronicle's Brian Mazur, Amrith Ramkumar and Nick Martin set out to tackle the biggest questions facing the Blue Devils at this time.
What is the biggest concern for Duke heading into spring practice?
Brian Mazur: I think the biggest concern has to be the quarterback position until Thomas Sirk can prove that he can be a reliable option for Duke when the season starts in September. This is uncharted territory for David Cutcliffe and his coaching staff. When he took the reigns in 2008, Thaddeus Lewis was in total command of the job until he graduated in 2009, but Sean Renfree saw his share of playing time during his redshirt freshman season and proved he was the clear option at the position going forward. In 2012, Anthony Boone did the same when he took over for Renfree in ACC wins against Wake Forest and Virginia. But it seems like although Cutcliffe has praised Sirk's Spring performance so far, there are more questions than answers at this point, as neither Sirk nor Parker Boehme and Nicodem Pierre have started a game under center.
Amrith Ramkumar: The Blue Devils lost other pieces, but the major question mark at quarterback still has to be the biggest concern at this point. As Brian said, Cutcliffe and company have had to deal with turnover at the position, but never with three viable options with limited experience. Many people criticized Boone during his time in Durham, but the Weddington, N.C., native's command of the offense and poise under center were traits that allowed him to lead two of the best offensive seasons in program history. Duke's game plans usually don't leave much room for penalties and turnovers, so quarterback has to be the biggest concern moving forward into the spring and leading up to the team's season opener Sept. 3.
Nick Martin: I will admit that the quarterback is the biggest on-field concern for the Blue Devils. But to take a look at some off-the-field matters, Duke just lost arguably one of its best senior classes of all time. Laken Tomlinson, Jamison Crowder, Anthony Boone, Josh Snead, Takoby Cofield, David Helton. These players defined the Blue Devil football revitalization process that has taken place in Cutcliffe's reign. His first years were spent trimming down the fat and setting his program in place, but for the last three years Cutcliffe was able to recruit quality talent and leaders, which is exactly what this past senior class was. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see who takes up the mantle this year—the obvious candidates are Braxton Deaver, Kelby Brown and Jeremy Cash. But the Blue Devils will need their talented seniors to step up and lead them if they want to go back to a bowl game and finally notch that elusive postseason win.
Head coach David Cutcliffe named redshirt junior Thomas Sirk the starting quarterback heading into Spring Practice. What are the chances Sirk keeps his job and starts Sept. 3 when the Blue Devils travel to Tulane for their season opener?
BM: I do think Sirk will keep his job and will start the regular season under center, barring anything unforeseen such as an injury. Parker Boehme has spent two years learning the offensive system so it is not out of the question that he could push Sirk for the job throughout fall camp and challenge his starting spot in 2015. We'll probably see Sirk as the primary passer and Boehme possibly as a short-yardage specialist—much like the role Sirk assumed last season.
AR: Pretty good unless Pierre makes big strides and starts incorporating the huge potential that made him a sought-after recruit into the Blue Devils' offensive system. It's very hard to know what kind of starting quarterback you have—especially in a spread offense that relies on timing and misdirection—until the games actually start counting, so unless something crazy happens, I don't see Sirk losing his job until the season begins.
NM: As of now, Sirk is 100 percent going to be the starter next season. At the very most, Boehme play see some snaps with the starters, but ultimately Sirk has in-game experience under his belt and that outweighs most everything Boehme and Pierre bring to the table. I think the real battle to watch here will be between Boehme and Pierre in terms of who is named the backup. As we saw in 2013 when Anthony Boone went down and Brandon Connette had to step up, having a capable No. 2 quarterback is absolutely necessary if you want long-term success. So Sirk will be the starter, but keep an eye on the race for the second slot.
With wide receiver Jamison Crowder off to the NFL and fellow wideout Isaac Blakeney graduated, who do you think will emerge as Duke's go-to receiver for 2015?
BM: Senior Max McCaffrey and junior Johnell Barnes were the role players behind Blakeney and Crowder last season, but a healthy Braxton Deaver should emerge as Sirk's top target in 2015. He was one of the top tight ends in the ACC heading into 2014 before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Fall camp and many expect him to pick up where he left off after catching 46 passes for 600 yards and four touchdowns in 2013. Deaver isn't a traditional tight end and will be placed in the slot, meaning he will be on the field for more snaps. Deaver should hear his number called early and often next season with inexperience at the wide receiver position.
AR: I expect McCaffrey and Deaver to be reliable targets and move the chains consistently, but I'll go with a dark horse candidate and take redshirt freshman Trevon Lee. The 6-foot-1 wideout was an ESPN 300 recruit coming out of high school and has all of the physical tools to emerge as a top target on the edge, especially given the attention McCaffrey, Deaver and Barnes will likely draw. As shown by his high school highlights, Lee has the ability—as is the case with Pierre, the question now is whether or not he can use his raw talent in Duke's system.
NM: As impressive as Lee's high school highlight reel is, I think once again I am going to have to pull the experience card and say that Johnell will be the go-to guy for Thomas Sirk this upcoming season. So far, Barnes has had short flashes of success, as he came up with some big catches against North Carolina and Arizona State—he actually hauled in his first career touchdown pass in the Sun Bowl. Barnes has the speed and athleticism, he just needs to nail down his route running and become more reliable with his hands. With an entire year to work on becoming the No. 1 option, I think Barnes comes out and surprises a lot of people in 2015.
Cutcliffe and his staff signed a talented recruiting class last Wednesday that was ranked in the top 50 by most recruiting websites and have a solid group of redshirt freshmen that sat out last season. Which freshman has the best chance to make an immediate impact upon arrival to Durham?
BM: Cutcliffe's top concern this spring has been the defensive line, which lost three starters, specifically the defensive end position. With that being said, Trevon McSwain has all the measurables that could lead to him wreaking havoc in opponents' backfields very early in the season. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, the athletic Buford, Ga., native, could take immediate advantage of a talent-lacking defensive end position in 2015, depending on how he performs in camp.
AR: If Lee doesn't pan out, true freshman T.J. Rahming is another dark horse wideout to keep an eye on. The 5-foot-9 speedster would likely need to put on some weight—he currently is listed by ESPN at just 152 pounds—but held his own in practice leading up to the Army All-American Bowl and showed off his versatility in the actual game as well. Offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery got creative with Crowder in the Sun Bowl and Cutcliffe is known for his offensive ingenuity, so don't be surprised if another lightning-quick Blue Devil wide receiver quickly makes a name for himself in Durham, either on offense or special teams.
NM: Although I picked Barnes to be the go-to receiver, I do believe that Trevon Lee will have the biggest impact as a freshman. Rahming has shown he can fly down the field, but Duke already has a small speedster in Barnes. At 6-foot-1 with a reported 4.49 40-yard dash, Lee possesses all the necessary physical tools to step in as a No. 3 receiver and thrive in Scotty Montgomery's fast-paced offensive game plan. With McCaffrey, Barnes and Deaver drawing the majority of the attention, Lee will certainly have some space to work with should he make it on the field next year.
What storyline are you most excited to see play out in the spring, into the summer and up to the start of next season?
BM: Duke's defense has vastly improved over the last two seasons, but Jim Knowles' unit has a huge amount of potential this season to become one of the ACC's top defenses. With arguably one of the best secondaries in the nation and All-ACC linebacker Kelby Brown returning for his sixth season, the Blue Devil defensive unit should carry the team next season. But it will be interesting to see the unit in action in the Feb. 28 Spring Game and then watching the playing time battles unfold during Fall camp, especially on the defensive line and at linebacker. If Duke's defense can force turnovers and rank toward the top of the ACC in terms of total defense (like they did for much of last season), there is no question that this team can seriously compete for an ACC Coastal Division title for a third straight year.
AR: As impressive as the defense was last year, football is still all about winning the war in the trenches, so I'm interested to see how the Blue Devils' offensive line performs after losing first-team All-American Laken Tomlinson at right guard and left tackle Takoby Cofield—who protected Boone's blind side well last year. Three starters return, along with redshirt sophomores like Gabe Brandner and Sterling Korona who have paid their dues, but I'm interested to see whether or not the unit that helped Duke average less than five penalties, 1.0 sacks allowed and 3.2 tackles for loss allowed per game—tops in the nation—can anchor the offense once again. Returning backs Shaquille Powell and Shaun Wilson will join forces with Jela Duncan—who is coming off a suspension—to give the Blue Devils a formidable running game as long as the line holds up.
NM: The most interesting storyline of 2015 is hands down the return of Duncan. Coming off a year-long suspension, Duncan will join Shaquille Powell and Shaun Wilson in the backfield, filling in for the loss of senior Josh Snead. He spent the off year working out daily, rehabbing his injured shoulder and following Duke football very closely—and now he's back. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds—though that number has likely increased after a full year of working out—the Charlotte, N.C., native is a tank and is an excellent receiver out of the backfield. In his 13 career games, Duncan has rushed 109 times for 553 yards—a 5.07 yards per carry average—four touchdowns and has caught 19 passes for 89 yards. 2014 seemed to be his breakout year but a suspension cut him short. With a new quarterback taking the reigns and all the fuel built up from a year away from the field, Duncan's return could not have come at a better time for Duke.
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