The Duke Blue Devils continued their successful recruiting in the David Cutcliffe era, when they received their seventh verbal commitment from the class of 2010.
Juwon Thompson, a 5-foot-11, 210 pound running back out of Woodward Academy pulled the trigger after his second visit to Duke University.
It's not unusual that Thompson pointed to the comfort level he had with the Duke Coaching staff, for this has been a recurring theme when recruits are asked of the reasoning behind their choice.
Thompson picked Duke over Boston College and Ole Miss over the weekend, but he had interest from Georgia, Georgia Tech and Tennessee as well.
The word on Thompson is that he is ideally suited for the offensive system Duke employs in that he is a hard running back that is very dangerous as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Thompson rushed for 1,212 yards and found the end zone 15 (TD's) times as a junior.
He carries a 3.2 GPA in core courses and also runs track for his high school team.
Coach David Cutcliffe and his Duke Football staff continue to recruit well in the state of North Carolina landing Takoby Cofield over the weekend. Cofield (Tarboro HS, North Carolina) 6-6, 280) chose Duke over East Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest from his offeres. Clemson and Tennessee were close to offering and Cofield believed that North and South Carolina would follow suit.
Cofield is the first lineman in the class of 2010 and Duke now has a total of seven players (five in state) committed early in the process. While Cofield plays tackle at Tarboro, it is believed that he could play either guard or tackle at the college level.
Any way you cut it, Cofield is another key ingrediant for Coach Cutcliffe and his staff. As their recruiting efforts continue to flourish, look for positive changes on the field where Duke is poised to bring consistent winning football to Durham.
Head Coach - Frank Beamer 177-89-2, bowl record 7-9
BDN's early predicted order of finish - 1st in the Coastal Division, projected record 9-3
tyrodtaylor.com
When one starts to preview the 2009 ACC Football season it becomes clear that once again the league will feature a lot of balance. But if you are looking for a front runner, look no further than Virginia Tech. The Hokies are coming off a 10-4 campaign which includes an Orange Bowl win over Cincinnati. Some in Blacksburg might consider that record a disappointment, but how much can they complain with another ACC Championship.
There were three main reasons why the Hokies dropped four games in 2009, the first being breaking in inexperienced players at key positions, the second was a lethargic offense and the third was the special teams sudden inability to come up with points. Virginia Tech head coach was breaking several new players at key positions and that early season inexperience allowed a fired up East Carolina team to win a close battle in the opener.
I wouldn't necessarily look for that to change in 2009 in that the opening day opponent is Alabama in Atlanta, Georgia. However, the Hokies can pull out a win if their offense shows off season improvement. Yes, one of the other weaknesses I alluded to was last seasons offensive production. How many times did the Hokies score 30 points or more? The answer is twice against Nebraska on the road and Boston College in the ACC Championship Game.
The bottom line is any time the Hokies offense clicks they tend to win just as they did in the two aforementioned contests. Beamer will work with nine returning starters this season including junior quarterback Tyrod Taylor (923 passing yards, 53.7%, 425 rushing yards) who will have some familiar cohorts to team with. One of those teammates is running back Darren Evans a sophomore who emerged as the starting back in his freshman season. Evans ran for a school record 253 yards against Maryland and seems primed to become a premiere back in the ACC.
The offense will be balanced by solid senior tight end Greg Boone who had over 500 yards in caches at around 13 yards per catch. Then there is Jarret Boykin who averaged 14.7 ypc as a true freshman. In fact, all of the Hokie receivers were green last season and should benefit from last seasons inexperience.
For those players to flourish, the offensive line has to close some gaps which allowed for 54 sacks in 07 but showed improvement last season. Several key starters return which should help Beamer have a more productive offense.
The defense returns seven starters and is always formidable and this year will be no different. The defensive line is anchored by Jason Worilds and John Graves and continues to be a strength.
The linebackers are led by two of the leagues best in Cam Martin and Cody Grimm. It's worth noting that this unit has more experience this season after breaking in several young players in 08. The Hokies will look to build experience in the pre season and see which players step up. With a solid defensive front and secondary, more consistent play from the linebackers would make this already solid defense even tougher.
Dorian Porch is probably the best of the bunch in the secondary, but this is the are where a lot of off season work took place due to the loss of Victor "Macho" Harris to the NFL. Still, with seven of your top eight back, look for this unit to be one of the ACC's best.
Matt Waldron returns as the kicker, but the Hokies will be breaking in a new punter on special teams. An off season emphasis was to get their special teams coverage to score more points after struggling to do so in 08.
Final words - Virginia Tech was the first ACC team to win a BCS bowl game since 1999. The offensive line must come together for the offense to use several weapons in 09. The defense looks to be one of if not the ACC's best. The Hokies play in the very competitive Coastal division which includes Georgia Tech, Miami, and North Carolina, all teams capable of going to the ACC Championship game. BDN's early pick is that the Hokies will go 9-3 and win their division. Despite being ranked as high as 5th in the country in one pre season publication, the fact that many of their victories were close last season prevents us from picking them to rumble through the conference. The Hokies get Miami, Boston College, North Carolina and N.C. State at home and Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia on the road. Should the Hokies defeat Alabama in the opener, a banner season could be in store. It's worth noting that game will be played on artificial turf and is the only game the Hokies are off grass all season long.
Virginia Tech visits Durham and Wallace Wade Stadium on October 3rd. For season or individual tickets contact GoDuke.com
DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke's football game against Kansas scheduled for Saturday, September 19 in Lawrence, Kan., will kick off at 12 noon (ET). The contest -- the first between the Blue Devils and Jayhawks on the gridiron -- will be televised live by VERSUS.
While Duke has never played Kansas, the Blue Devils are 2-3 against current members of the Big 12 Conference with wins over Baylor (12-7 in 1958) and Nebraska (34-7 in the 1955 Orange Bowl) and losses to Missouri (28-7 in 1947), Oklahoma (48-21 in the 1958 Orange Bowl) and Texas Tech (49-21 in the 1989 All American Bowl).
Duke opens the 2009 season at home on September 5 against Richmond. Season tickets are on sale and may be purchased online at www.GoDuke.com or by calling the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 1-877-375-DUKE.
For Duke to have a successful 2009 campaign, it will be important for young players like Kyle Hill to lead the way for the offensive line. BDN talked with Kyle after the spring football game and here are his thoughts going into the off season. It is worth noting that once again, Coach David Cutcliffe said that all of his players would stick around and workout this summer.
You have switched positions on the offensive line, how is that going?
It's been going pretty good, I'm enjoying it. I was playing left tackle last spring and guard last Fall, so it's a nice switch to go back to left tackle.
Do you feel like this team is now looking to you for leadership on the offensive line?
I think they are really just looking for whoever can step forward and be a good leader. You know, myself and Brian have been trying to do our best to be good examples and work hard for the rest of the line to follow us.
Coach said you've have put on a little weight, can you talk about that?
I've put on about twenty pounds and I can definitely feel the strength difference. It feels a lot better and it is helping me in a positive way and has helped out a lot.
You have two years under Coach Cutcliffe and have seen last year's team and this year's team. Do you feel that you can be as good or better than last year?
Oh, I definitely think so. The amount of intensity and the work ethic is unbelievable. We just keep working hard and feel at least as good as we did if not better. I really feel we can do better than we did last year.
What are your thoughts on the spring game?
It was very game like. It was fast paced for a spring game and we competed hard against the defense which was a lot of fun and a good experience.
DURHAM, N.C. – Former Duke football standout Claude "T" Moorman, II, MD passed away on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 in his hometown of Plymouth, N.C. He was 69 years old.
Born August 21, 1939 in Roanoke, Va., Moorman was raised in Miami, Fla., where he was President of the Student Body at Miami High School and an all-state and All-America football player for the Stingarees. He matriculated to Duke University where he lettered three years (1958-60) for Duke and helped lead the Blue Devils to the 1960 ACC Championship, a No. 10 final national ranking by the Associated Press and a 7-6 win over seventh-ranked Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. He recorded the game-winning touchdown on a pass reception in the fourth quarter against the Razorbacks.
As a senior in 1960, Moorman was selected a first team All-America by both the Football Writers Association of America and the Football News as well as earning first team All-ACC honors. He posted 54 receptions, still the 12th-best single season total for a Blue Devil and the second-highest ever by a tight end. He finished his career with 71 receptions for 709 yards and five touchdowns.
Moorman was recently honored as a member of the 2008 ACC Legends representing Duke University at the ACC Championship game in Tampa, Fla. He was also named to the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, Duke's Top 50 Athletes of the Century (Blue Devil Weekly), Florida's all-time Top 100 Football Players and the Miami High School and Duke University Halls of Fame.
He attended Duke Medical School, completed his MD in 1966, and trained in Orthopaedics at Duke under Dr. Lenox Baker. He volunteered for medical service in Vietnam in 1970 and served with the AMA/USAID Team. He completed law school in 1979 and served with the Army Department of Legal Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. Moorman subsequently commanded US Army Reserve Units at multiple sites and retired as a Colonel from the USAR in 1998. He formed and directed anesthesia groups in Leesburg, Va., Stuart, Fla., and Port St. Lucie, Fla., during his time as an Army Reserve Commander.
Moorman's last decade was focused on living his dream as a farmer on the Albemarle Sound in Washington County, N.C.
He was proceeded in death by his parents and is survived by his cherished companion Mary Dinkins, his children Tee and Lynne Moorman of Durham, N.C., Pam and Scott Beecher of Concord, N.C., Tommy and Debra Moorman of Wake Forest, N.C., Jay and Jamee Moorman of Yuma, Ariz., Jill and Jason Kelso of Orlando, Fla., and his grandchildren Tommy Beecher, Matthew Beecher, Austin Moorman, C.T. Moorman IV, Katie Beecher, Virginia Moorman, Josh Moorman, Marianne Moorman, B.J. Beecher, Dax Moorman, Ellison Kelso, Loch Moorman.
A memorial service will be held at the Duke University Hall of Honor (adjacent to Cameron Indoor Stadium) at 4:00 p.m. with reception following in the Yoh Football Building on May 2, 2009. Internment will take place at the Arlington National Cemetery on July 22, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. with full military honors.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in his memory to the Bassett Society, a scholarship support for Duke athletes pursuing medical/dental education. Bassett Society, DUMC, Box 3639, Durham, NC 27710.
Coach David Cutcliffe and his Duke Football staff continue to recruit well in the state of North Carolina landing Takoby Cofield over the weekend. Cofield (Tarboro HS, North Carolina) 6-6, 280) chose Duke over East Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest from his offeres. Clemson and Tennessee were close to offering and Cofield believed that North and South Carolina would follow suit.
DURHAM
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