Duke Football 2013 Spring Wrap Up

Spring Summary

The biggest takeaway from Duke’s spring is that the team’s quarterback controversy is resolved—this is Anthony Boone’s team. With backup signal-caller Thomas Sirk going down with a ruptured Achilles the week before the Blue Devils’ annual Spring Game, Boone is now the squad’s undisputed No. 1 quarterback, and it should remain that way.

Boone has instantly stepped into a leadership role on this year’s team and appears to be exceedingly comfortable doing so. Although his poise in the locker room has been impressive, it remains to be seen if he can replicate that on the field for Duke. His Spring Game was solid all-around after struggling early. Although Boone displayed improved accuracy in the intermediate passing game, he struggled to throw the deep ball, which should be a major point to address over the summer.

Name a few players who could have breakout seasons

Many of the team’s pre-season question marks have started to fall into place. Redshirt junior Isaac Blakeney and sophomore Max McCaffrey have had fantastic springs, and their performances in this year’s Spring Game are a positive time for a team that lost two productive wide receivers last season.

Redshirt sophomore safety Jeremy Cash has also been one of the bright spots of Duke’s spring. After sitting out last year, the Ohio State-transfer was one of the stars of this year’s Spring Game and should bring some athleticism to the Blue Devil secondary, a unit that struggled last season.

At running back, Josh Snead showed off his quick first step and sophomore Shaquille Powell has made great strides in the offseason. Both should factor into Duke’s improved running game this season and should be important pieces.

Grade each position group & special teams

Quarterbacks: B+   Boone and true freshman Parker Boehme have both shown improvement and should be reason for optimism.

Running Backs: A-   Juwan Thompson, Josh Snead, Jela Duncan and Shaquille Powell all bring different skill sets to the table and all have improved from last season. They provide Duke with a deep stable of running backs.

Wide Receivers: A-  Max McCaffrey, Isaac Blakeney and Anthony Nash have all made improvements this offseason, but will need to step up to replace Conner Vernon and Desmond Scott.

Tight Ends: B   Braxton Deaver’s return will help this unit, but tight ends don’t have too much involvement in Duke’s offensive scheme.

Offensive Line: A-   When healthy, this is a formidable bunch. Even with a short-handed unit in the Spring Game, Duke’s starting offensive line only allowed two sacks—especially impressie given all you have to do to sack the quarterback in a scrimmage is lay a hand on him.

Defensive Line: B   With most of the rotation returning, this group will be experienced and has shown improvement stopping the run, but still doesn’t boast a formidable pass rush.

Linebackers: B+   A healthy Kelby Brown will be a big addition for the Blue Devils at linebacker this season. Kyler Brown and CJ France are reliable options as well.

Secondary: B   Despite graduating three starters from last season, Duke’s secondary has made great strides this offseason. Cash’s addition to the rotation will be a huge help, and the unit did a much better job defending deep passes in the Spring Game.

Special Teams: A-   Duke has two of the nation’s best specialists in kicker Ross Martin and punter Will Monday. The team struggled in both coverage and the return game last year, so those will be major question marks going into next season under first-year special teams coordinator Zac Roper.

Are there any “surprises” we can expect from this team?

The biggest surprise for the Blue Devils will be that they haven’t lost as much of a step as the pundits think they have.

Although losing playmakers like Sean Renfree and Conner Vernon from last season leave some gaping holes at the skill positions, Duke’s young talent has stepped up and has this team optimistic heading into next season.

Especially given that their conference schedule last season was particularly treacherous and this year Duke will not have to face Clemson or Florida State, this team should still have a legitimate chance to make it back to a bowl game.

Inevitably, how far this team goes will come down to the play of its new starting quarterback and its revamped secondary. If Duke can continue to be a threat in the passing game, utilize its revamped running attack and stop getting beat by so many big passing plays, this team will play confidently and look like it hasn’t missed a beat from its most successful season in two decades.

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Daniel Carp of The Blue Zone provided the information for our Duke football 2013 spring wrap up.  For more Duke football information, commentary and analysis, you can follow The Blue Zone on Twitter @chroniclesports.

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