With the 2024 season coming up fast, The Chronicle is breaking down each major position group on the Duke roster: specialists, defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line, offensive line, receivers, running backs and quarterbacks. Next up are the linebackers:
Key player lost: Dorian Mausi
Mausi finished last season tied for third in tackles for the Blue Devil defense, completing 61 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss. The Academic All-ACC linebacker’s 2023 highlights included his season-high 14 tackle performance against Florida State and a fourth quarter interception to seal Duke’s historic Week 1 upset against Clemson. The four-year Blue Devil will be missed as he continues his collegiate career at Auburn.
Projected starters: Tre Freeman, Nick Morris Jr.
Freeman returns to the Duke defense following a breakout season in 2023, where he led the Blue Devils and finished sixth in the ACC with 106 tackles. Earning a spot on 2023’s All-ACC team, the Durham native was the first Duke player since 2019 to earn 100+ tackles in a single season. This year, the redshirt junior looks to continue building his resume and make his presence felt in the absence of Mausi.
The other projected starting linebacker, Morris Jr., played in all 13 games last season, albeit in the role of second string middle linebacker behind Mausi. The Westlake product even earned his first start against Wake Forest as a result of Mausi’s late-season injury and continued to play in the starting lineup for the final five games of the year. The redshirt junior totaled 61 tackles and a single fumble recovery last season, in addition to a sack. Morris Jr. earned the 65th spot on Bruce Feldman’s College football “Freaks List” ahead of the 2024 season, and his ranking could foreshadow a fruitful campaign as a part of the Blue Devil linebacker unit.
Dark horse: Ozzie Nicholas
An FCS All-America winner and two time All-Ivy League team member, Ozzie Nicholas transfers from Princeton with both accolades and experience. While projected to serve a lesser role behind Morris Jr. at Duke’s middle linebacker position, the Ivy League graduate certainly brings a valuable veteran presence to the Blue Devil LB corps. He will serve as an effective addition to Freeman and Morris Jr.
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