It’s Signing Day for Duke Football! Coach Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils officially will welcome the class of 2012 into the Duke family today. BDN has all the coverage, including Mark Watson live at Coach Cutcliffe’s afternoon press conference.

National Letters of Intent Received

TE Erich Schneider
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 220 pounds
High School: Episcopal
Hometown: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #151 WR

TE Dan Beilinson
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 240 pounds
High School: Panther Creek
Hometown: Cary, North Carolina
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #22 TE

OL Casey Blaser
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 255 pounds
High School: South Mecklenburg
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #105 OT

K Ross Martin
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 190 pounds
High School: Walsh Jesuit
Hometown: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #2 K

DL A.J. Wolf
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 245 pounds
High School: Hackley
Hometown: Tarrytown, New York
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #167 DE

DL Allen Jackson
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 235 pounds
High School: McDonough
Hometown: Owings Mills, Maryland
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #86 DE

DL Carlos Wray
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 280 pounds
High School: Shelby
Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #94 DE

WR Anthony Nash
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 180 pounds
High School: Bayard Rustin
Hometown: West Chester, Pennsylvania
ESPN ranking: 2 stars, #187 WR

ATH DeVon Edwards
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 170 pounds
High School: Alcovy
Hometown: Covington, Georgia
ESPN ranking: Not Available

OL Tanner Stone
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 280 pounds
High School: Highland Park
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
ESPN ranking: 2 stars, #163 OG

SAF Michael Westray
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 195 pounds
High School: Westlake
Hometown: Waldorf, Maryland
ESPN ranking: 2 stars, #168 SAF

WR Max McCaffrey
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 190 pounds
High School: Valor Christian
Hometown: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
ESPN ranking: 2 stars, #232 WR

DL Michael Mann
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 220 pounds
High School: Valor Christian
Hometown: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #122 DE

SAF Dwayne Norman
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 195 pounds
High School: University Christian
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #50 SAF

RB Jela Duncan
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 190 pounds
High School: Mallard Creek
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #40 RB

SAF Corbin McCarthy
Height: 5’10″
Weight: 200 pounds
High School: Norco
Hometown: Norco, California
ESPN ranking: 2 stars, #143 SAF

LB Deion Williams
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 225 pounds
High School: Lutheran
Hometown: Orange, California
ESPN ranking: 2 stars, #7 FB

LB Keilin Rayner
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 215 pounds
High School: North Brunswick
Hometown: Leland, North Carolina
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #74 OLB

RB Shaquille Powell
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 196 pounds
High School: Bishop Gorman
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
ESPN ranking: 3 stars, #56 RB

Dwayne Norman signs his NLI

Jela Duncan picks Duke on National Signing Day

Casey Blaser signs his NLI

Valor Christian DE Michael Mann committed to Duke over the weekend.

Duke secured a commitment from the 18th member of their class of 2012 over the weekend, as DE Michael Mann committed to the program. Mann will join Valor Christian teammate and close friend Max McCaffrey in Durham this fall. Rated a 3-star prospect by ESPN, the defensive end picked up an official scholarship offer from the Blue Devils on Thursday and made his decision over the weekend. He spoke with Duke’s Coach Knowles and Coach Lubick on Sunday to inform them of his decision. Mann is Duke’s 4th commitment on the defensive line in the class of 2012, joining Allen Jackson, Carlos Wray, and A.J. Wolf. Originally committed to Arizona State, Mann opted to re-open his recruitment after the coaching staff change in Tempe. It was a recent official visit to Durham that sold him on the Blue Devils, however. Mann selected the Blue Devils over offers from Air Force, Arizona State, Boise State, Colorado State, Connecticut, and Iowa.

BDN Scouting Report: While not a freak athlete, Mann is physical and tenacious at the line of scrimmage. He’s shown ability to be dominant both against the run and against the pass. A three-time Colorado HS state champion, his intangibles are off the charts. He has lots of room to grow as a pass rusher at the college level, but has the work ethic and the ability to become a solid ACC lineman. At 6’4″ and 220 pounds, Mann has room to grow into his frame, and will likely benefit from a year in the weight room before he’s ready to contribute on the field. The Blue Devils are getting a good football player and a great addition to their program with the commitment from Mann.

With the recent decision by Terrell Jackson to re-open his recruitment, the Blue Devils find themselves looking to bulk up their defensive line in the class of 2012. With that in mind, Duke hosted Valor Christian DE Michael Mann on an official visit over the weekend. Originally committed to Arizona State, Mann opted to re-open his own recruitment after the coaching staff change in Tempe. A teammate and close friend of Duke WR commit Max McCaffrey, the Blue Devils have had Mann on their radar for awhile. The 6’4” 220 pound DE prospect is coming off his third straight Colorado HS Championship and spoke with BDN shortly after his visit to Durham.

Ohio State safety Jeremy Cash has transferred to Duke.

As Signing Day 2012 approaches, the focus remains on rounding out this year’s recruiting class. However, the Blue Devil coaching staff has strengthened their roster with the transfer of a hard-hitting defender from The Ohio State University. Duke sources have confirmed to BDN that 6’2″ 190 pound safety Jeremy Cash has transferred to Duke and enrolled in classes for the spring 2012 semester.

Cash enrolled at Ohio State last January and played in five games as a true freshman and registered 3 tackles. A native of Plantation, Florida, Cash was rated a 4-star prospect by ESPN coming out of high school and held scholarship offers from Arizona State, Florida State, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Stanford, Wake Forest, and Wisconsin. A 4.0-student, Cash will have three years of eligibility remaining in Durham. He will join a Duke secondary that will have to replace All-ACC safety Matt Daniels in 2012.

The Blue Devils will host their final official visits of the 2012 recruiting season this weekend and BDN will have all the coverage as Duke looks to finish out this year’s class strong.

#TeamNoDaysOff

Whenever Football Friday goes to a concert, a part of us always wishes that the band would just get to the hits right off the bat. Blow the audience away from the first drumbeat instead of the usual slow crescendo. Maybe that’s just us. Anyway, let’s hit the ground running with recruiting updates. You do remember recruiting, don’t you? It’s the stuff we obsess over when Duke isn’t playing football games. It’s also the stuff that keeps the coaches busy when the team isn’t playing games, and this week is no exception.

Jela Duncan remains priority number one, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Running back remains the one glaring hole in the Duke class of 2012, and the Blue Devils have had their sights set on the Mallard Creek star for quite some time now. The interest is mutual, as Duncan has repeatedly put Duke at the top of his list, primarily based on his close relationship with Head Coach David Cutcliffe. Speaking of the HC, he hit the road after Duke’s Thursday practice to visit with Duncan. Cut will also take in Mallard Creek’s game against North Mecklenburg. Duncan has been lighting up opponents so far this year, leading Mallard Creek to a perfect 6-0 record, while running behind big Florida-bound OL D.J. Humphries. Jela has an official visit planned to Purdue this weekend, and has already visited Duke several times, but is finalizing his other official visit plans.

Traveon Henry is another top running back prospect that the Blue Devil staff is enamored with, and the Fort Lauderdale native was in Durham to take in Duke’s big win against Tulane. That visit was Henry’s first official and sources say the visit went very well. Henry is playing his recruitment close to the vest, but they do plan to visit Florida State, Northwestern, and Yale later this fall. A star on both offense and defense, Henry as earned over a dozen scholarship offers. He also plays on the basketball team at Pine Crest and is a former teammate of Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Knight.

Jamie Gilmore is another Florida prospect that the Blue Devils are looking at as a potential running back in the class of 2012. The North Marion HS star plans to visit Durham in December, and is also eyeing visits to Maryland and Utah.

Duke will keep in touch with several other prospects, but would be unlikely to take a commitment until they’ve heard a decision from these three players.

So what about the rest of the class of 2012? Did you already forget the 14 newest Blue Devils-to-be? The Duke coaching staff hasn’t, and they will be hitting the road this weekend to check in with most of Duke’s verbal commitments. Just to refresh your memory:

TE Dan Beilinson 6’5” 225 pounds

OT Casey Blaser 6’5” 255 pounds

DE Allen Jackson 6’5” 225 pounds

WR Max McCaffrey 6’2” 185 pounds

K Ross Martin 5’10” 185 pounds

WR Anthony Nash 6’4″ 180 pounds

S Dwayne Norman 6’0” 182 pounds

TE Erich Schneider 6’5” 200 pounds

QB Thomas Sirk 6’4” 210 pounds

OG Tanner Stone 6’6” 255 pounds

S Michael Westray 6’1” 195 pounds

LB Deion Williams 5’11” 210 pounds

DE A.J. Wolf 6’4” 245 pounds

DE/DT Carlos Wray 6’2” 245 pounds

Looking at the list, Duke could use another LB and another lineman and the staff will have to crunch the numbers with regards to available scholarships for this class. A few of the remaining targets who are contemplating official visits to Duke are LB Keilin Rayner, LB Jeremiah Allison, DT D.J. Reader, OL Bryce Kennedy, and OL Robert Conyers. The coaching staff is also looking at a few hybrid athletes who could potentially fill an offensive or defensive position, depending on how things play out. Two such players would be Tysean Holloway from Asheville and Lakeith Walls from Ohio. And if you’re wondering whether Duke is searching far and wide for talent, Coach Lubick will be on the west coast this weekend, visiting Deion Williams, among other prospects.

3 in a row, Tic-tac-toe

A-B-C, 1-2-3, etc, etc. Duke can win football games. And they can do it in a variety of ways. Duke is playing much better football heading into their bye week than they were in week one, and that really should be no surprise. The Blue Devils have an experienced coaching staff and a young roster, with 67% underclassmen. There is plenty of reason to believe that the best is yet to come for the 2011 Blue Devils, but let’s recap what we’ve seen so far.

Duke has won three straight games, which is newsworthy in itself, but it’s even more notable when you look at how they won those three football games. After a disappointing 0-2 start, Duke traveled to Chestnut Hill with their confidence shaken and another dismal season staring them down. But, as BDN’s Terry Rains pointed out earlier, the Blue Devils were able to rally together and, behind a record-setting performance by Sean Renfree, were able to win ugly. Duke played a game that was far from perfect, but even with many costly mistakes, they emerged with the W. We always talk about how slim Duke’s margin for error is, but maybe that margin is widening just a little bit.

With the weight of the world off their shoulders, the Blue Devils returned home to a steamy Wallace Wade Stadium, where they dominated the Tulane Green Wave. The Duke offense faced little resistance from the Green Wave, and for the first time in a long time, the Blue Devils were clearly the better football team in all phases of the game. Duke was able to jump out to a 48-13 lead, which allowed a group of young players to take some meaningful snaps against a FBS opponent. It was a rare, but welcome, blowout win for the Blue Devils.

A week later, those late 4^th quarter snaps proved invaluable, as the Blue Devils traveled to Miami to take on an impressive FIU team. BDN was on the scene to take in an entertaining game from “The Cage,” played in front of the largest crowd in FIU history. After Duke fell behind 10 points in the 4^th quarter, instead of a sense of defeat, there was an air of quiet determination on the Duke sideline. The team was waiting for a spark to turn the momentum, and it came from an unlikely pair of Blue Devils. Two redshirt-freshmen, the all-hyphen team, DE Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo and SAF Anthony Young-Wiseman, both of whom were filling in for injured Blue Devils, came up with the decisive sack and fumble recovery that turned the game around for Duke. Against a quality opponent on the road, the Blue Devils played good, fundamental football. They did not commit a turnover and were whistled for just 2 penalties all night. It was an impressive performance for a program that has been haunted by miscues and misfortune.

For a good summary of Duke’s strengths and weaknesses thus far, be sure to check out Bob Green’s analysis of the Blue Devils first five games.

Where do we go from here?

Strap yourselves in, for it might be a bumpy ride, wherever we’re headed. The Blue Devils have a difficult road in front of them, with upcoming trips to Miami, Virginia, and North Carolina in November. Immediately after the bye, Duke starts a crucial three game homestand against Florida State, Wake Forest, and Virginia Tech. There will be no easy wins in ACC play, but the Blue Devils are playing good football and are capable of competing with every team left on the schedule. That’s not just coach speak.  For those interested in some unpaid, unofficial advanced scouting work, tune in to the ACC network at 12:30 PM ET to watch the Seminoles travel to Winston-Salem, a free preview of Duke’s next two opponents.

At 3-2 heading into the off week, Duke has managed to keep their bowl hopes alive, but they will need to play their best football down the stretch if they hope to extend their season into December. Of course, while Football Friday may not be here in writing, we’ll be around in spirit every step of the way. This young Duke team still has a lot in store for us. WE ARE DUKE.

Expectations were high for David Cutcliffe's 4th season in Durham - BDN Photo

David Cutcliffe is now two games into his fourth season as Head Coach of the Duke Football program, and with the Blue Devils opening the year 0-2, fans are asking whether progress has in fact been made. Progress, however, is a relative term, and one can easily see progress or a lack of progress depending on the context.

Start with the big picture. Where was Duke football in 2007 and where is it today in 2011? The Blue Devils opened the 2007 season 0-2 with losses to Connecticut and Virginia. In 2011, they are again 0-2 with losses to Richmond and Stanford. Just as they were in 2007, Duke is again expected by most to finish at or near the bottom of the ACC. At face value, progress has not been made, and it’s a reasonable argument.

Duke football fans are anxious for something to cheer about - BDN Photo

The opposition to that argument is that building a winning football program doesn’t happen overnight. Since Coach Cutcliffe’s arrival, there have been substantial improvements made off the field. Overall, attendance is up and there is a new-found enthusiasm for football at Duke. The University and its boosters have made a substantial investment in the program, both from a coaching and a facilities standpoint. Duke has a veteran group of coaches and football facilities better or equivalent to every other ACC school. Improvements to Wallace Wade Stadium are in the works, though that will require a significant investment and better production on the field.

Speaking of on the field, let’s look at the early return on the University’s investment. So far in 2011, the wins aren’t there, so let’s look at the talent level. In 2007, Duke had 1 returning All-ACC player on the roster in Eron Riley. In 2011, Duke returns 3 players who have been awarded All-ACC honors in Conner Vernon, Donovan Varner, and Will Snyderwine. Looking at the makeup of the roster itself, the 2007 Blue Devils entered the season without a single redshirt-sophomore, junior, or senior. In 2011, Duke has 18 redshirt-sophomores, 10 redshirt-juniors, and 7 redshirt-seniors on the roster. The team is developing the kind of depth and experience that is needed to compete week in and week out over the course of a college football season. Based on an informal eye test, the Blue Devils are still an undersized football team, but that is slowly changing. Each recruiting class appears to get a little bigger and a little faster, and recruiting as a whole appears to be paying dividends, with young players like Juwan Thompson (leading rusher), Laken Tomlinson (starting OL), Kelby Brown (2nd leading tackler), and Jamison Crowder (10th in ACC in all-purpose yards) all producing an immediate impact on the field.

Freshman Jamison Crowder has had an immediate impact, ranking 10th in the ACC in all-purpose yards - BDN Photo

Let’s step away from the big picture and take a deeper look at Duke’s 2 losses. A loss to Richmond was inexcusable and a big step in the wrong direction for this team. The mistakes made in that game appeared to be “the same old Duke;” missed FGs, fumbles, and consistently inconsistent play throughout the game. It certainly felt as if we had all traveled back in time to the Carl Franks era of Duke football, a period defined by mistakes and winless seasons. The Blue Devils appeared to be playing not to lose, highlighted by the overly vanilla and poorly executed game plan. Those around the program simply shook their head and thought, “Duke should be better than that. This shouldn’t be a bad football team.”

A week later, Duke welcomes #6 Stanford and Heisman favorite Andrew Luck to Wallace Wade Stadium. Most Duke fans, and even some media members, fear a repeat of last year’s disaster against Alabama, where the game was seemingly over for the Blue Devils before the ball was snapped. Sure enough, the Cardinal came out and caught Duke off guard with a trick play, ultimately driving the field for an opening touchdown and 7-0 lead. Here we go again. Instead, Sean Renfree leads Duke on a 9-play, 70 yard drive on their first possession to set up a FG. Will Snyderwine, last week’s goat, comes in and misses yet another chip shot FG. Here we go again.  Instead, Duke’s much-maligned defense makes the Heisman contender look uncomfortable for the next 4 possessions, coming up with 2 sacks, and 3 QB hits. Senior safety Lee Butler caps off the improbable start with a 76-yard interception returned for a TD. Duke recovers an onside kick after the PAT, and Wallace Wade is rocking with belief. The Blue Devils appear to be the aggressor and Duke is ready to compete with the #6 team in the country.

The Blue Devils ran out of steam against Stanford in the 2nd half - BDN Photo

Of course, that didn’t last long, as things quickly turned on the Blue Devils and they were unable to sustain their early momentum. The offensive line stumbles and the Duke drive stalls to close the half. Andrew Luck then returns to his Heisman-caliber form and leads the Cardinal to a 17-7 halftime lead. The 2nd half is dominated by Stanford, with the lone bright spot being a late 4th quarter TD drive engineered by redshirt-freshman QB Anthony Boone. The final score is a lopsided 44-14, and unanswered questions still abound about the state of the program.

Was that momentary flash – when we all started to believe – was that real?

Who is this Duke team? Are they the team that disrupted the Stanford offense and drove the length of the field with ease to open the game? Are they just the same old Duke, characterized by mistakes and missed opportunities?

Has progress been made? It is clear that significant improvements and investments have been made made off the field, but that hasn’t yet translated into wins, the ultimate measuring stick. It’s been an uphill battle, but Duke must continue to persevere and get better every day – on the field, in the coaching box, and on the recruiting trail. You either get better or you get worse. What will it be for you, Duke Football?

The Blue Devils are entering the most crucial part of their schedule, with 3 very winnable games leading into the bye week. Many of our questions about Duke will be answered, beginning with this week’s trip to 0-2 Boston College, followed by a homecoming game against Tulane and then a trip to surging Florida International. The Blue Devils must emerge from these three games with at least a 2-3 record, and should be capable of entering their bye week at 3-2 if they work hard to improve their red zone efficiency. After opening 0-2, 3 straight wins would be strong evidence that progress has, in fact, been made.

Ross Martin, the top HS placekicker in the country, hits the game-winning FG in his season opener.

The Blue Devils secured a commitment from the nation’s top high school kicker over the summer in Ross Martin of Walsh Jesuit in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Martin told BDN earlier this summer that Duke has “always sort of been my dream school, because of the combination of world-class academics and D1 ACC football.” With the impending graduation of senior Will Snyderwine, Martin will have an immediate opportunity to contribute to the Blue Devil program in 2012, but first, he has big goals for his senior season at Walsh Jesuit. Since BDN last spoke with Ross, he has been named an Under Armour All-American, and nailed a game-winning 29-yard field goal in his season opener.

Ross checked in with BDN this week to update Duke fans on the start to his season:

Week One Game Summary:   Our season opener against the Louisville Leopards ended in a thrilling finish, as I drilled a last second game-winning field goal as time expired to seal the win for the Warriors.  We were down 26-24 with 2 seconds on the clock when I hit a 29 yard FG to win the game 27-26 as time expired.  I also made my only other field goal attempt from 42 yards to take the early lead 3-0 in the first quarter. I kept Louisville pinned back all night with my kickoffs and punts, as they never started any drives from beyond their own 20 yard line.  I earned the team award for special teams player of the week and was selected as Player of the Game by WHBC who provided local televised coverage of the game.

Week Two Game Summary:   Our second game was another big rivalry game vs. St. Vincent St. Mary.  Falling behind early by a score of 28-3 the Walsh Jesuit Warriors engineered a great comeback and fought back with passion to pull within two points of the Saints with the Warriors falling in a tough loss 48-46.   I earned the team award for special teams player of the week. 

Week Three Game Summary: Last night we hosted the defending State Champions, Columbus Bishop Watterson.  It was another tight game going down to the last few seconds with us connecting on a 15 yard pass for a touchdown with 35 seconds remaining to take the lead 26-24, which was also the final score of the game.  We now have a record of 2-1 on the season.  I was 2 for 3 on field goals, hitting from 35 and 34 yards, and the one that I missed was on a mishandled snap that was laying flat on the ground instead of standing upright.  On the season I’m now 5 of 6 on field goals with conversions made from 42, 35, 34, 29, and 27 yards.  I also went 2 for 2 on PAT’s last night and am now 10 for 10 on the season and extending my high school career streak to a perfect 54 for 54.  In addition, I had another great night of punting for the Warriors with an average of 48 yards on 4 punts and a long of 61 yards. 

SEASON STATS:

PAT’s:                   10 for 10  (Extending perfect HS career streak to 54 for 54)

FG’s:                     5 for 6  (42, 35, 34, 29, 27)

KO’s:                    10 of 12 for touchbacks

Punting:               Average Distance: 42 yards  / Long: 61

Thanks for checking in with us, Ross! Enjoy your bye week and good luck against Lake Catholic on September 24!

BDN will have periodic updates from Ross and his future 2012 Duke classmates throughout the season.