Category Archives: Duke Football

Patrick DeStefano is a 6’6” 280 pound offensive line prospect from Roebuck, South Carolina. In his junior season, he helped Dorman to the state championship game and later received several accolades, including 2^nd Team All-State. Widely regarded as one of the top offensive line prospects in the state, Patrick has already received verbal scholarship offers from an impressive group of college programs, and Duke was among the first. Highlights of Patrick’s sophomore season can be viewed here.

BDN: Can you start off by describing the strengths and weaknesses of your game for someone who hasn’t had a chance to see you play?

I’d say for me personally, the biggest strength is my versatility. In Dorman’s system I play regularly on a gamely basis, tackle, guard, center, tight end, fullback, defensive tackle, defensive end, and nose guard. But just as an offensive lineman, I’ve been told I have natural knee bend, I play with a straight back and I have really nice hips, and I can get up to the second level good.

BDN: What are some of the things you’ve been working on this offseason?

I mean, this is my last offseason before I actually get with the big boys, so every aspect of my game I need to improve. Bigger, faster, stronger, you know, you can never have enough of those. I know that I’m miles away from where I need to be to be a Divison I recruit, so I’m just trying to work as hard as I can. To be specific, it’s hard to single out just one piece of my game, but I guess I would say the biggest thing would be working on technique, just better technique.

BDN: I know you had a great year last season. What are your goals for you team and yourself individually for the fall?

We lost the state game to our arch rivals, the Byrnes Rebels. That just gets me going. No offense to them, but I can’t stand Byrnes. I hate them, and they hate me too, so it’s a mutual feeling. My biggest thing is I want to beat them in State. I understand they’re great rivals, they’re great competitors, it’s going to be a hard competition, but that’s my goal and our team’s goal, hopefully. But just for me personally, just every day trying to get better.

BDN: What are the most important things you are looking for in a college?

The biggest thing I’m looking for in a school is how comfortable am I with that school. When I step foot on that campus, do I want to be there? Because I’m potentially going to be spending the next four or five years of my life there, so that’s definitely a big thing. The next thing I’m looking for is the academics of the school, because something my dad always drove into me as a little kid, he said that God many one day see it fit to take away your athletics, but he will never take away your academics.

BDN: Is there a particular field or program that you’re interested in academically?

No, I thought so, but not really. I’m 17, life changes, I’m just a growing kid.

BDN: What schools have you recently heard from? Who were the first schools to contact you?

Duke was one of the first schools to offer Patrick DeStefano

As far as the first schools, I had three offers come in on the same day in the spring, it was a great day, it was a blessing. Clemson, Duke, and South Carolina all came in on the same day. But as far as the total rap sheet, those three plus North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Tennessee, Arkansas, Northwestern, Stanford, and I think that may be. I may be forgetting one somewhere in there. I know it’s at 11 or 12, I’m sorry. I know that sounds arrogant, but it starts to blend together, I hope that doesn’t come across as cocky.

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit so far? What schools do you definitely plan on visiting later this year?

My visits haven’t really started up yet. So far I’ve only visited Duke and Clemson. But you know I also have plans for setting up other visits to different colleges. I don’t really want to say what colleges because I don’t know yet, all I know is I have several other colleges to visit this spring.

BDN: Were there any schools that have impressed you with your visits or with your contact with them so far?

If you had asked me that question a few months ago, I would have had five schools, top five all ready to go, but you know, this recruiting process has just gotten so big lately that it’s all gotten jumbled together. So many schools have so many great things to offer that I couldn’t honestly give you a top five.

BDN: It’s still very early in the process, but ideally, when would you like to make your college decision?

I am going to graduate a semester early so I can go into spring practice wherever I want to go. I just know I need to have my mind made up before December.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Patrick and best of luck to you.

Thanks, have a good day.

Duke Football

2011 Duke Football Schedule Released

February 14, 2011 Patrick Cacchio

Duke and the ACC released their 2011 football schedules today. The Blue Devils will look to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1994. Their schedule features 7 home matchups, as well as non-conference games against Richmond, Stanford, Tulane, and Florida International. Check back with Blue Devil Nation later this week for a full breakdown of Duke's 2011 schedule.

2011 DUKE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 3 RICHMOND

Sept. 10 STANFORD

Sept. 17 at Boston College

Sept. 24 TULANE

Oct. 1 at FIU

Oct. 8 OPEN

Oct. 15 FLORIDA STATE

Oct. 22 WAKE FOREST

Oct. 29 VIRGINIA TECH

Nov. 5 at Miami

Nov. 12 at Virginia

Nov. 19 GEORGIA TECH

Nov. 26 at North Carolina

HOME GAMES IN CAPS

Duke Football

Duke offers QB Bilal Marshall, who has an ACC favorite early

February 14, 2011 Patrick Cacchio

Bilal Marshall is one of the top quarterback prospects in the state of Florida and one of the top dual-threat prospects in the country. At 6’3” and 170 pounds, Marshall has a good frame and a natural athleticism that makes him an elusive playmaker. Several ACC programs are recruiting the standout signal-caller from Miami’s Dade Christian, and one school has stood out to him early. Highlights of his sophomore season can be viewed here.

BDN: Can you start off by describing the strengths and weaknesses of your game for someone who hasn’t had a chance to see you play?

Well, I play quarterback and I’m a dual-threat. When everything is locked up, nothing makes a defense more mad than when a quarterback goes and gets a first down himself. I can run the ball pretty well, I had over 900 yards rushing myself this year and I can throw the ball good. I think that I’m very accurate and I’ve got a good arm. That’s pretty much it there.

BDN: Being a quarterback, is there a particular player in the NFL or in college that you compare yourself to or have studied closely?

Well, right now it’s Darron Thomas, the quarterback for Oregon. I feel like we have a very similar type of play.

BDN: What are some of the things you’ve been working on this offseason?

Well the main thing the college coaches tell me is to keep working on my feet. They say my feet have gotten better from my sophomore year. I’ve gotten a lot better. They just want me to keep working on it so that it will help me make better throws. That’s the main thing I’m working on this whole offseason – footwork.

BDN: I know you had a great year last season and made the playoffs. What are your goals for your team and yourself individually for the fall?

For my senior year, number one is to win a state championship. I’ve got my last chance to do it. I want to probably have over 3,000 all-purpose yards, and try to mentor some of the young kids that’s coming in and try to help the legacy of my school keep going on.

BDN: What are the most important things you are looking for in a college?

Definitely academics. Whatever is going to fit me for my future because making it to the NFL is a one in a million chance, so that main thing is academics.

BDN: Is there a particular field or program that you’re interested in academically?

Right now it’s open. I don’t know yet. I’m still in the process of trying to figure out what I want to do in life.

BDN: What schools have you recently heard from? Who were the first schools to contact you?

Wake Forest has always been on top for me. They’ve been out ahead and coming to talk to me every once in awhile, coming to my school. I have a great bond with the recruiting coordinator, with Coach Ray McCartney. They offerd me early in my year. I have just recently got an offer from Duke and from Boston College. Right now, I feel like Wake Forest has really been after me and so has Rutgers.

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit so far? What schools do you definitely plan on visiting later this year?

The only school I’ve been to is an unofficial visit to Wake Forest, I’ve been to one of their camps. I’m going to be going to a Junior Day at UM [Miami] this weekend and a Junior Day at Clemson April 9. And I’ll probably make the spring game for Wake Forest in late April.

BDN: Are there any schools that you haven’t heard a lot from or that you’re hoping to receive an offer from soon?

Definitely Clemson. I’ve grown up watching them play. I like to watch them play because of their explosive plays. I could definitely see myself in that program, but whatever happens, happens.

BDN: You also mentioned that Rutgers, Duke, and Boston College have offered you. How much do you know about those schools and do you plan on visiting or learning more?

Well it’s still early. I’m still trying to build a bond with those other schools. I’ve only talked to Duke maybe three times. Rutgers has been on me also, they’re probably right behind Wake Forest, with talking to me and being in contact with them all the time. Boston College I’ve only met the recruiter once, but they told me they’ll keep in contact with me.

BDN: Do you have any plans for what camps you will attend at this point?

Too early right now. I’m not sure if I will be attending any college camps, but it feels like probably the Manning Passing Academy, depending on financials. It’s an expensive trip.

BDN: It’s still very early in the process, but ideally, when would you like to make your college decision?

I’ll probably make my decision by Signing Day next year. I won’t be committing anywhere before then.

BDN: Is there anything else that you think is important for college football fans to know about you?

I’m just one person that’s willing to do anything for whatever program I’m with. I feel like I’m a great kid, I’m willing to help out anybody. And I just love to win, so whatever program I’m in, I’ll do my best to lead that team to 10 wins on the season or more.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Bilal and best of luck to you.

No problem. Alright, thank you sir.

Duke Football

Duke and NC State are the first to offer top in-state TE Dan Beilinson

February 13, 2011 Patrick Cacchio

Dan Beilinson is a 6’5” 220 pound tight end from Cary, North Carolina. As a junior, Beilinson caught 37 passes for over 500 yards, helping Panther Creek to a conference title and the state regional playoffs. One of the top tight end prospects in the state, his performance earned him 1^st Team Tri-Nine All-Conference, among many other accolades. Although he currently is in the middle of basketball season, college football coaches have been in close contact with the pro-style tight end prospect. NC State and Duke were the first two programs to extend a verbal offer to Beilinson, and several other top programs from around the country have shown strong interest to Beilinson and his coach, Wayne Bragg. Highlights from Dan’s junior year can be viewed here.

BDN: Can you start off by describing the strengths and weaknesses of your game for someone who hasn’t had a chance to see you play?

I’d have to say I’ll go 100% all the time, I’m a hard worker. Panther Creek football has really taught me good work ethic and with hard work we can get from being a 5-7 team that we were two years ago to a 13-2 team we were this past season. I think I’m able to exhibit that. More specifically, I think I was made for a tight end, 6’5” 220 [pounds] as a junior right now, I think I’ve got the size and that allows me to block and run, and pretty much do that efficiently.

BDN: What are some of the things you are focusing on this offseason as you head into the fall?

So far this offseason, I have basketball right now, so I haven’t been able to work out during the offseason workouts with the team, but I’m hitting up the weight rooms, trying to get bigger, stronger, and faster whenever I can. For this spring and summer, I don’t know what camps I’ll attend yet. I haven’t really talked about it much with my parents so I can’t answer that yet.

BDN: What are some of the goals you have for your team and yourself individually for your senior season?

Oh yeah, for the team, I just want us to do obviously as good as our skill can do, which I think, again, with the hard work that Panther Creek football coaching staff provides we’ll be able to get just as far, hopefully we can go all the way. Every team wants that, but I really just want good teamwork and everyone always being there for each other, and hopefully we’ll get far into the playoffs again this season.

BDN: What are the most important things you are looking for in a college?

I’d have to say education is definitely important to me. Football program - I don’t really have a specific interest or any biases as of right now. But the coaching staff is really important to me, I have to be able to be on good terms with the coaches and so far that’s been pretty good for me. So I’d have to say education and coaching staff.

BDN: What schools have you recently heard from? Who were the first schools to contact you?

Well, NC State and Duke have personally spoken to me and given offers. Arizona State and Vanderbilt, my coach says they have offered me verbally, but I haven’t personally received that notification yet.

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit so far? What schools do you definitely plan on visiting later this year?

At this point I’ve gone to NC State and Duke for Junior Days, so far. I’ve been invited to a couple of other ones but I haven’t been able to attend them yet. I’m really keeping my options open. I want to see what schools will contact me and show interest and then depending on that, I’ll make my decision whether or not I want to go over there and see what their campus is like and what their football program is like.

BDN: It’s still very early in the process, but ideally, when would you like to make your college decision?

I think it’s going to hit me when it hits me, but it probably won’t be before the season, I think it would probably be during or right after. I’ll most likely have a decision by then, but as of right now I can’t tell you for sure when it will happen.

BDN: Is basketball something that you hope to continue at all in college or will you focus solely on football?

Yeah, I’m definitely going to focus just on football. Basketball is good for athleticism, footwork, and all that stuff right now.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Dan and best of luck to you.

Thank you, you too.

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

Football Friday Debut

February 11, 2011 Patrick Cacchio

David Reeves Signing Day 2 — David Reeves committed to Duke on National Signing Day

While most Blue Devil fans have been lost in the euphoria of Wednesday's dramatic victory over the Tar Heels, we here at BDN have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to continue to bring the best Duke Football coverage around. Yes, Duke Football coverage. In the middle of basketball season. In fact, Patrick Cacchio will be penning a weekly column for Blue Devil Nation Premium members on all things Duke Football (suggestion: Join Now). Here’s his first installment.[private]

When I was in high school, we had “Fun Fridays.” I don’t remember anything particularly fun about them, and in hindsight, it was probably just a gimmick to try and make kids feel better about sitting in a dreary classroom on a Friday afternoon. Well, with that in mind, here at BDN, we’re going to bring you Football Friday. Fridays have absolutely nothing to do with football, of course, but that’s when I’ll probably get around to posting this new column so we’ll go with it for now. We’ll do our best to keep you entertained with the latest in the world of Duke football on Friday afternoons. Since it’s also a premium article, I’ll try to make sure you get your money’s worth of #SCOOP, too.

BDN Salutes

Congratulations to former Duke Head Coach Ted Roof on leading the Auburn Tigers' defense to a National Championship. Roof's defense, which was criticized throughout the season, managed to stall Oregon's juggernaut offense while Cam Newton took care of the rest. While Ted's career at Duke didn't work out as anyone hoped, it's great to see him having success on the sidelines.

Congratulations also to former Duke wide receiver and coach Scottie Montgomery, who helped the Steelers reach the Super Bowl in his first season coaching on an NFL sideline. Though the Steelers' receivers were led by veterans Hines Ward and Mike Wallace, don't overlook the contribution of Montgomery, who tutored rookies Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. Scottie will always be welcome back in Durham and continues to make the program proud.

Blue Devils get some good news on Signing Day

Duke fans got their first real taste of some Signing Day drama this year, as the Blue Devils completed their class with two late commitments. California WR Blair Holliday re-affirmed his commitment to Duke during a streaming press conference last Tuesday, but not before first flashing his hometown UCLA t-shirt. The real recruiting coup came early on Signing Day itself, as Alabama TE David Reeves signed with Duke in a ceremony at his high school. Reeves was pursued down to the wire by Memphis, South Florida, Mississippi State, and even in-state powerhouse and reigning National Champion Auburn, but chose Duke in the end. The Blue Devils weren’t so fortunate when it came to the decision of Tennessee TE/OL Cam Clear, as they joined Alabama and Memphis as runners-up to Tennessee. It’s a tribute to the work of the Duke coaching staff that the Blue Devils remained in this high profile recruitment all the way to the wire, but ultimately even recruiting extraordinaire Nick Saban was unable to pull Clear from his home state. Of course, since you’re a BDN Member, you already knew where all 3 players were going since we predicted it on the premium message board. I’ll definitely be using that magic 8-ball again.

Duke finishes with 20 commitments in the class of 2011

2011 Offensive Line Class with Coach Luke — L to R: Marcus Aprahamian, Cody Robinson, Coach Matt Luke, Matt Skura, Carson Ginn

Two facts come to mind when looking at the Duke class of 2011. First, 16 of the 20 players had verbally committed to Duke before August 1^st, with 19 of the 20 players verbally committing to Duke before October 1^st (Reeves being the lone exception). The second fun fact about this class is that Duke hosted 21 prospects on official visits and 20 of them ultimately signed with Duke (Clear being the lone exception). Sure, there were defections and misses, but all in all, Duke held together a pretty good group of players, despite coming off a 3-win season; that’s not easy to do.

Now that the letters are signed, sealed, and delivered (I know, they were actually faxed), everyone wants to know who will be the impact players from this class. The truth is that I don’t know, the coaches don’t know, and every player would tell you that he’s going to be the guy. Of course, most will end up redshirting, and isn’t that a rare luxury for Duke Football? Duke has actually built some depth, especially along the offensive and defensive lines (albeit mostly young, unproven, and inexperienced depth). There will of course be a few players who will earn playing time and make an immediate impact, much like Kelby Brown, Brandon Connette, and Josh Snead did a year ago. I’ve been fortunate to get to know most of these prospects pretty well over the past year, so here’s my take on the Duke class of 2011:

Three athletes stand out in this class: Jamison Crowder, David Reeves, and Blair Holliday. These guys all possess a natural playmaking ability that had been lacking in Wallace Wade Stadium prior to Cutcliffe's arrival. With hard work and good health, I expect great careers from all three.
I really like the group of offensive linemen. They’ve already developed a strong bond amongst themselves, and I think every one of them will develop into a very good college lineman. They’re great kids, hard workers, and have a passion for football that has also been missing at Duke.
There’s a confidence among the new DBs that should infuse life into the much-maligned Duke secondary. Jared Boyd played for a powerhouse program in Georgia and could be ready to compete for playing time. Chris Tavarez, Duke’s own Disney teen idol, is a sleeper who can make plays. And if you like underdogs, Tim Burton may be undersized, but he’s probably the fastest guy on the team. And if you don’t think any of these guys are good, just ask them.
We all learned our lesson last year and know better than to sleep on Kyler Brown, but I wouldn’t sleep on the other linebackers in this class, either. Jon Woodruff has a great frame and is already on campus, while Britton Grier and David Helton both have a reputation as a hard-hitter. The fact that the Duke staff didn’t go out after any high-profile guys along the defensive line leads me to believe they’re pretty satisfied with the group of redshirts from a year ago. Sam Marshall, Lucas Fisher, and Mario Sanders will develop into solid players up front, but are probably long-shots to see a lot of snaps as freshmen.
Will Monday is a nice addition as well, and he will help take Duke’s special teams play to another level. He'll challenge Alex King for the starting spot at punter.

It’s not a class that will blow anybody away according to the various ranking services, and we all know that Coach Cutcliffe doesn’t put a lot of stock in analyst grades and stars. For the most part, this is a class with D-1 talent and a strong work ethic, who Duke hopes will develop into solid ACC football players over four or five years. For those who put more stock into rankings than Coach Cutcliffe, it is worth pointing out that ESPN has Duke’s class collectively ranked higher than Florida, Oklahoma and Miami. I think I’ll wait until we see the players on the field before I agree with that assessment.

2012 updates next week

So I probably didn’t tell you anything you didn’t already know this week, but I have to leave something to make you come back next week. We’ll look at Duke’s early offers in the class of 2012 and take a look at the biggest areas of need for that class. We’ve also got to find time to talk about Duke’s 2011 schedule, why the ACC’s football struggles have carried over to basketball, ways to improve the compliance department at UNC, and what bowl we want to go to this year. So much to say before September and your attention span only lasts a few hundred words at a time (your poor spouse). Anyway, if you have compliments, please send them to me, and complaints can be sent directly to Mark.

Until next week, GTHC. We Are Duke. [/private]

Duke Football

Ohio TE Blake Thomas visits Duke for Junior Day

February 8, 2011 Patrick Cacchio

Blake Thomas is a 6’4” 240 pound tight end from Westlake, Ohio. In his first full season as a starter at St. Ignatius in 2010, Thomas solidified himself as one of the top prospects in the state, attracting interest from several Big Ten and ACC schools. Highlights from his junior year can be viewed here. While Notre Dame is an early favorite, Blake visited Duke for Junior Day and thought he could fit in with the Blue Devil program.

BDN: Can you start off by describing the strengths and weaknesses of your game for someone who hasn’t had a chance to see you play?

My strengths – I’m pretty big, I’m a good blocker. I have good hands and I can use my body to get off guys on routes. I catch a lot of passes over the middle, too.

BDN: What are some of the goals you have for yourself and your team this fall?

Definitely for the team our goal is to go 10-0, to win a state championship this year. We’re supposed to be pretty good, we’ve got a couple good players coming back, actually most of our team is returning. Personal goals – I want to have more catches this year, preferably upwards of 35, probably over 10 touchdowns would be a goal for me. I want to work on exploding off my blocks more, my footwork is – I have good footwork in my blocks, but sometimes I don’t explode as well as I’d like.

BDN: What are the most important things you are looking for in a college?

Definitely I want to play for a school that wins games, that would be something big. But even bigger would be academics and the school itself. The campus, I have to like it where I am. It doesn’t matter if I’m playing football if I don’t like the school that I’m at. So pretty much the campus life, the location of the school. I have to make sure that I like that.

BDN: What schools have you recently heard from? Who was the first school to contact you?

My earliest contact was Cincinnati. Since then I’ve had a lot more. I’ve had a lot of contact with Notre Dame recently, and Boston College. Some with Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Northwestern – schools like that.

BDN: Can you talk a little about the schools you have been able to visit recently?

Duke, I’m just getting back from. Duke was awesome. The coaches were great, they seemed really interested. I really liked the school, I know it’s a top academic school and I feel I could really fit into the system there. That’s what’s attractive about Duke and I like it a lot. Before that I saw Notre Dame, I saw a game at Notre Dame and met some of the coaches there during the football season. And then before that I went to Cincinnati. Those are the three schools I’ve been able to visit so far. I’ve had other invites, but they just haven’t worked with my schedule.

BDN: Of the schools you’ve visited so far and heard from, are there any schools that have particularly impressed you?

Up until now, my top school has definitely been Notre Dame. I’ve had a lot of communication with them and I’ve seen the campus a lot. I’ve seen a game there. I’ve been really pleased with it and I like it a lot. I think once I’ve been to more schools, once I’ve seen Boston College and Northwestern – schools like that, I’ll have a better idea of the schools that I’ll really be interested in.

BDN: Do you have any plans for other visits this spring or summer?

I know I’m seeing Notre Dame February 26. Also I got invited to LSU recently but I don’t know if I’m going to go all the way down there for a Junior Day. I’m not sure if I’m going to go to any other schools for Junior Days right now. I have a couple more that I can choose from, but just with driving and stuff I’m not sure I want to go all over the place right now. I’m sure I’ll be at a couple places for spring practices, too.

BDN: It’s still very early in the process, but ideally, when would you like to make your college decision?

Well ideally I’d like to be able to put if off until after my senior year, but if I got a school like Notre Dame before my senior year, I’d probably commit so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. But kind of the plan would be to wait out, see how many I could get, how many schools I really liked that I could get offers from. But definitely if a big school like that offered me, I’d probably take it.

BDN: Is there anything else you think is important for ACC football fans to know about you?

Not really, other than that. Schools that I’m looking for would be a good football school with a great campus and good academics. Stuff like that is really important. Other than that, not really.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Blake and best of luck to you.

Thanks.