Tag Archives: Football Recruiting News

Duke Football

Duke 2012 TE commit Erich Schneider enjoys Junior Day in Durham

Duke commit Erich Schneider enjoyed his visit to Durham

While the 2012 recruiting season is just heating up, Duke got on the board early with a commitment from TE Erich Schneider. After visits to Duke last summer and fall, Erich decided that the Blue Devils were the right fit for him. Erich is a 6’6” 220 pound prospect from Jacksonville, Florida. As a junior, Erich helped lead Episcopal high school to a 5-7 overall record, falling short of the state playoffs. The tall receiving prospect was recently in Durham for Junior Day and spoke with BDN after his visit. Highlights of Erich’s junior year can be viewed here.

 

BDN: Can you start off by describing some of your strengths for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

I think my size, definitely, and my speed for my size and my quickness.  So hopefully I’ll be able to get bigger, but still maintain my speed and my quickness.

BDN: What have you been working on this offseason?

My foot speed is basically the biggest thing, and just maintaining my speed, but I got to work on my foot speed the most.

BDN: You were recently in Durham for Junior Day. How did your visit go?

It was – okay, it was awesome.  I went to, first of all I went to the meetings with the coach, the whole team, and then I went with the tight ends and had a look at what they do in their meetings and stuff.  It was really neat, and then I was able to visit a practice, and that was awesome.  It was really fast, really fast playtime that they use, it was awesome.  So – and then I met some coaches, I met some of the players, and I basically just got to see what playing is all about, so that was really cool.

BDN: What were the biggest factors that led to your commitment to Duke?

Academics especially, and Coach Cutcliffe, definitely want to play for a coach like him.  He brought in that whole coaching staff, so that’s – I know in the future it’s gonna be a really strong program, and I love the offense that they run.  I’m really attracted to their receiving tight end, like myself.

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

Yeah, yeah, I’m probably gonna go up for a weekend or something and go to a camp there, work with the tight-end coach, maybe he’ll – and, I don’t know, I definitely am gonna go up there this summer, but I might also take my official visit there.

BDN: Have any other schools been in contact with your recently?

I’ve attempted a little bit to contact a few schools, Northwestern, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt a little bit, but not really.  I’m considering, but I’m pretty solidly committed to Duke right now.

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

I guess I just want to win.  I want to help the team in any way I can, but it’s kind of cliché, but true.

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

Thank you so much.  You too.

 

Duke Football

Top OL D.J. Humphries favors SEC schools

Top OL D.J. Humphries has Florida and LSU at the top of his list

In their three-plus years in Durham, Head Coach David Cutcliffe and Offensive Line Coach Matt Luke have built the Duke offensive line into a position of strength. The past two recruiting classes have brought in a very good group of offensive linemen, and the Blue Devils hope to continue that trend with the class of 2012. One of the top offensive lineman in the country is D.J. Humphries, a 6’6” 265 pound offensive lineman from Charlotte, North Carolina. As a junior at Mallard Creek, D.J. has attracted schools from all across the country, already receiving scholarship offers from over 20 schools, including Duke. Highlights from his junior year can be viewed here.

 

BDN: Can you start off by describing some of your strengths for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

I think one of my main strengths is me being athletic.  Most coaches love my feet, they love my feel, so no one’s really told me too much that they want me to work on as far as on the field, but I’ve put a lot of work into run blocking over the summer and that definitely paid off, I had over 100 pancakes for the season. I’m a natural pass blocker, so that really was never too hard to pick up.

BDN: What are some of your goals for your senior year?

As far as my team, state championship.  But other than that, for myself, I just want to continue doing what I do, playing well, try to be All-American again, first team All-American again.

BDN: Growing up in the Carolinas, is there a particular school you grew up following?

I’m from the east side of Carolina originally, so growing up I followed South Carolina and Clemson, but I started to like LSU and Florida, ‘cause I mean, I was raised around SEC football, but that’s pretty much – that’s the attitude I take to the field is SEC football, but I mean, I’m still interested in ACC as well, but I’ll watch Florida and LSU and everything else.

BDN: Who was the first school to offer you?

Clemson was the first school to offer me.

BDN: Have you been able to narrow things down at this point in the process?

I mean, Florida’s probably my number one right now, and then maybe LSU, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

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

I’m probably gonna try to get down to – Florida probably my first visit, coming up in March, that’ll be my first stop and I begin making all my visits in March.

BDN: Do you have an idea for when you would like to make your college decision?

Probably the US Army [All-American] game.

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

All right.  No problem, bye.

 

Duke Football

Dual-threat QB Matt Johnson is looking for a school close to home

Duke is evaluating dual-threat QB Matt Johnson

Head Coach David Cutcliffe is known for his ability to develop quarterbacks, thanks to his work with Thad Lewis and Sean Renfree at Duke, and Peyton and Eli Manning at Tennessee and Ole Miss. In the class of 2012, Duke has already been in contact with many of the top quarterback prospects around the country, including a sleeper in-state dual-threat prospect. Matt Johnson is a 6’3” 210 pound quarterback from Maiden, North Carolina. He’s been in contact with several in-state ACC schools and made a trip to Durham earlier this year for Duke’s Junior Day. Highlights of Matt's junior season can be viewed here.

 

BDN: Can you start off by describing some of your strengths for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

Yeah, my coach coordinates offense, we run a shotgun offense, but I am – we run a 50% passage percent, but I have found strength in being a good runner, and I play behind my pads, I’ve been told, but I really try to just get every yard when I’m running, and I have focused on passing to strengthen myself in passing, but running’s definitely been my biggest strength, and slowing the game down a little bit and playing at my own pace has been my big thing that I’ve been pretty good at this year.  I don’t really kind of pride myself in anything, but just my reads and everything like that going in.  But I’m more of a dual threat quarterback.

BDN: What are some of your goals for your senior year?

This year, I want to help my team.  I want to pass for over 1500 yards.  I was just 1000 this year, with run a lot more than that, but I want to be considered as a college level passer, and not just a dual threat quarterback.  I also want to strive to win a state championship, that’s what I want for my team, but the passing and reading the coverages better, and making – slowing the game down even more, just to have control over the situation is really what I want, and complete passes, basically.

BDN: Is there a college or NFL quarterback you have studied closely or have tried to emulate?

I’ve always admired Peyton Manning, just for his – his poise in the pocket, and then the way he calls the game, and seems to have everything in his hands.  He’s working with everybody, and they’re reacting to it.  It’s what I love about it, and it’s kind of where I want to be.  But I want to play with the maturity level that is far passed my own, just to have control of the situation mainly.  But – I loved Brett Favre until just recently, but –

BDN: As you approach your college decision, what are the most important things you are looking for in a school?

A big thing about it, and I’ve put it on all my seats, is the location of where it is.  I kind of want to stay pretty close to home.  I don’t really want to leave my parents that much, and I think I probably have an opportunity to do that, but also I want to find a place that has a communications major.  I kind of want to be a broadcaster when I grow up, but a lot of it is academics for me.  I want to go somewhere where I can maybe be out in 4 years, but have a good degree, and I want to go somewhere where I can play and that I can grow as a football player, and as a leader.

Maiden QB Matt Johnson is hearing a lot from NC ACC programs

 

 

 

BDN: Who are the schools that you have been hearing from the most and which schools were the first to contact you?

It all kind of started with, I think it was Wake Forest, NC State, ECU, and Duke in there, and that was really cool, getting those letters from Coach Roper at Duke, and going to the game, I was very excited about getting that stuff and receiving letters of just, “Come to our game, come watch.”  It was all surreal to me, but I never really felt like I was lost in the crowd.  I felt like it was a privilege being in the place I was at; I count it as a blessing, being able to go.  But I went to NC State a couple times, ECU a couple of times, and I think it’s been ECU and Duke that has talked to me the most in just recruiting-wise, and keeping up contact with me.  But it’s been a great thing for me, I’m humbled by the entire thing, but I really want to just find a place I’m comfortable at, and I really felt comfortable at all 3 of those places.  But a lot of other colleges were talking to me just through letters, just sending me stuff.  But communication-wise, I talked to the other colleges.

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

I definitely want to – I went to Duke’s Junior Day the other day.  I had a great time there, I’m actually looking forward to another visit there.  Thinking about going to ECU’s Junior Day, and that’ll be a big thing, and any other Junior Day I’m invited to, I’ll be happy to accept that invitation no matter where it is, but I definitely liked NC State, ECU, and Duke as a place I’ve been to.  I wanted to visit Wake Forest, I don’t know all about that, I don’t know what my opportunities are gonna be, but I’m not sure if there’s anywhere else I want to go.  I want to go anywhere, really.

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

I try to be the same person I am on the field as I am off the field.  I’ve never been the most skilled player, I wouldn’t say, but I’d say I’d be able to pull a team through anything, just with – it doesn’t matter if we’re down 40 or up 40, I’m gonna play my heart out.  I don’t know the whole give up or let off thing, I just know how to play football and how to score touchdowns, and how to go 100% every play.  I’m not – I just want to keep everybody’s spirits up on the field; I’m a good motivator, and I’m not gonna pride myself in being a leader, but I think somebody has to do it, and it’s gotta be somebody willing to step up, and I try to do that most of the time, and I think I do a pretty good job of it.

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

All right man, thank you. God bless you.  Bye.

 

Duke Football

ACC schools are evaluating Richlands OL Josh Hess

Richlands OL Josh Hess is receiving a lot of interest from ACC and SEC schools

In their three-plus years in Durham, Head Coach David Cutcliffe and Offensive Line Coach Matt Luke have built the Duke offensive line into a position of strength. The past two recruiting classes have brought in a very good group of offensive linemen, and the Blue Devils hope to continue that trend with the class of 2012. Josh Hess is a 6’7” 285 pound offensive lineman from Richlands, Virginia. As a junior, Josh played on both the offensive and defensive line, helping Richlands to  the state championship game, and was named to the All-State, All-Region, and All-District teams. Highlights from Josh’s junior season can be viewed here.

BDN: Can you start off by describing your strengths for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

Personally, I think I’m hard-nosed, I like driving people off the ball, that’s what I do.  I’m a pretty good pass blocker, in my opinion, and I do whatever it takes to win.

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

I dropped a couple pounds.  I’m down to about 285 right now, and I’ve just been working on my lateral quickness, and just speed in general.

BDN: What are some of your goals for your senior year?

I want to go back to Lynchburg and play for another state championship, and come out winning next one.  I’d like to make all-state again, all-region, all-district.

BDN: As you look at your college decision, what are the most important factors you are looking for in a school?

Education would have to be the first one.  I’m big on academics, and so is my family.  And then just the school itself.  I like football tradition, and how the football program’s going.  I’d like to go in and help a program out if they’re down, and if they’re a program that’s winning, to go in and keep it going.

BDN: Is there a specific academic field you are interested in?

Kinesiology, so the study of – it’s like athletic training, stuff like that, and how the muscles and stuff work.

BDN: Which schools have you heard from the most? Who were the first to contact you?

Duke, UNC, Maryland, Virginia Tech, UVA, Florida, Boston College.  There’s a lot of SEC and ACC schools.

BDN: Are you primarily interested in ACC and SEC schools?

Well, it’d be nice to, but – I mean, as it comes down to it, I’ll go anywhere that’s within the United States.

BDN: Have you been able to talk with any schools about scholarship offers yet?

Really haven’t talked about offers yet, but most of them are trying to get me down on campus, looking at stuff like that, invite me to a bunch of junior days and stuff, but not really talked about offers yet.

BDN: Have you had a chance to visit any schools so far?

I’ve only visited Duke, I went down there for junior day, but the end of the football season I went all over the place, I went to like Kentucky, Boston College, Duke, Virginia Tech, UVA, Alabama, I was all up and down the coast, pretty much.

BDN: Have any schools stood out to you at this point in the process?

Josh Hess led Richlands HS to a state championship game as a junior

 

Not really, I like them all the same.  All of them had different things that I like about them.

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

I’m going down to UVA for Junior Day, and I’ll be at UNC after that.  And then I’m not sure about camps yet, I know I’m gonna go and visit a bunch more, I’m gonna go – Florida wants me to come down and watch spring practice and get out there and get on campus and talk to the coaches, so I’ll probably end up doing that.

BDN: Do you have an idea for when you would like to make your college decision?

I might wait until the right school comes to me, but I mean, if the right school does come, it might be before football season.  But then again, I might just wait it out, wait until signing day or after the football season.

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

I’m a good student in the classroom, I’m a hard worker, my motto when I leave the weight room everyday is leaving thinking that nobody outworked me that day.  That’s about it.

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

Sounds good, I appreciate it.  You too.

 

Duke Football

WR Tevin Clay drawing interest from in-state programs

Tevin Clay was named to the 2010 All-State 2nd Team Offense

With Duke’s prolific passing offense, it’s no surprise that the Blue Devils have had success recruiting and developing talented wide receivers in Durham, most notably All-ACC performers Eron Riley, Donovan Varner, and Conner Vernon. The Blue Devils hope to continue that trend in the class of 2012, and have been scouting throughout the country in search of receiving talent, but found one top prospect close to Durham. Tevin Clay is a 6’3” 187 pound receiver from Wilmington, North Carolina. As a junior, Tevin helped Laney High School to the North Carolina state playoffs and a 6-6 overall record. He was named to the 2nd Team All-State offense after hauling in 87 catches for 1,450 yards. Highlights from his junior year can be viewed here.

BDN: Can you start off by describing your strengths for fans who haven’t had a chance to see you play?

Well, I’m more of a go up and get it type of guy.  My speed isn’t the fastest, but it’s fast enough.  I’m working on that now.  I can basically catch any ball that’s thrown my way, I’m confident in my hands.  My team is confident in me, I’m a big-time player.  I just love playing football.  My weakness is my speed, I gotta work on my speed a little bit.

BDN: What are your goals for your senior season?

My senior year, do better than I did my junior year.  This year I had 87 catches and 1450 yards, and 14 touchdowns.  I want to do better than I did my junior year, so I’m working hard in the weight room, and working hard all around as a player to get myself better for next season.

BDN: As you approach your college decision, what are the most important things you are looking for in a school?

First of all, academics.  I want to go to a school where I know I can get my work in for academics, going to a school where I can make an impact on the team.  I love playing football, and I want to go to a good football school, coaches, stuff like that.

BDN: Is there a specific academic field you know you want to study?

I want to study sports medicine.

BDN: Who are the schools you have heard from the most so far? Who were the first schools to contact you?

The first one to contact me was ECU, I went to visit there during the football season, and I’m going to South Carolina next weekend for a Junior Day. And I went to Duke and I went to [North] Carolina a couple times, and [NC] State, I talk to them a lot too.

BDN: Have any schools stood out to you at this point in the process?

Nah, none of the schools have really stood out to me other than the schools I told you about.

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

Yeah, I’m gonna go to a lot of one-day camps this summer. I’m going to [NC] State camps, Duke camps, [North] Carolina camps.

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

WR Tevin Clay is working on his speed this offseason

 

As a person, I’m a mama’s boy.  I love my mom, I love my family.  As a player, I’m dedicated to football, but I also play basketball and baseball, we were 4A state champions and right now in basketball we’re 16 and 5.

BDN: With your family being important to you, do you think that distance from home will be a factor in your college decision?

My mom wants me to stay in the state, but – yeah, I mean, it all depends on what happens, so I don’t know what’s gonna happen right now.

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

All right, thanks.

 

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Football

Football Friday evokes spring break memories

March Madness is in full swing as Duke takes the court tonight in the ACC quarterfinals against Maryland. Is it just us, or do you also find that the weeks in March go a lot faster than the rest of the year? It probably has something to do with conference tournaments streaming on television and online nearly 24 hours a day. While productivity in offices and schools across the country plummets, we’re as busy as ever at BDN. There’s no better time to join BDN premium than March, as Mark Watson follows the Blue Devils every step of the way in their quest for ACC and NCAA championships. Now that we’ve got you hyped for basketball, here’s this week’s Football Friday. [private]

Welcome back, loyal readers. And I do mean loyal. If you’re reading a Football Friday column in the middle of the ACC tournament, well, it doesn’t get much more loyal than that. Mille grazie. Yes, Cacchio is an Italian name.

The Blue Devils are on spring break!

Duke is on spring break

Ah, spring break. Fond memories, right? Where did the time go? Anyway, the Duke football team is off this week for spring break, and many of the players are taking advantage in warm, sunny locations, from South Beach to the Caribbean all the way to the California coast. Personally, I think they’ve earned it, from the early morning February practices to the late-night November film sessions. Student-athletes miss out on many aspects of the typical college experience due to their extracurricular commitments, but this week, the Duke football team gets to join in the revelry. Safe travels to all and we all look forward to getting back to work on Wednesday morning.

ACC spring football kicking off

Miami and Clemson hit the field for spring practice this week. Both programs

Al Golden is shaking things up at "The U" this spring

have question marks at the quarterback position, where Clemson will be breaking in first-year starter Tajh Boyd, while Miami appears to have a true QB controversy on their hands. New Head Coach Al Golden ruffled some feathers with his spring depth chart, placing many of last year’s starters near the bottom in an effort to challenge his team this spring. Most surprising may have been at the QB position, where he placed rising senior Spencer Whipple ahead of last year’s starters Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris. Next week, spring practice will kick off at Boston College, NC State, Wake Forest, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Speaking of the Tar Heels…

While many in Chapel Hill may still be in denial, we’re all aware that there have been some issues with the Tar Heel football program. Unfortunately NCAA violations are more common than we would like to think in college sports today (see Auburn, Baylor, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC, etc.), but I think there may be an even bigger issue here, and that is the double standard that appears to exist for coaches and players. Ohio State players are suspended for five games, while Jim Tressel is suspended for two. UNC players are held out of several games, some for the entire season, while the coaching staff denies accountability.

DL Delvon Simmons has asked UNC for a release from his NLI

This double standard doesn’t only arise when NCAA violations are uncovered. Coaches are allowed to up and leave programs without penalty, while players must go through a tedious transfer process and are usually required to sit out an entire year. A perfect example is the revolving door that has been the UNC Defensive Line Coach for the past few months. John Blake, implicated in the Gary Wichard scandal, resigned in September. Charlie Coiner was appointed to replace Blake, but was then replaced by Brian Baker in January. Baker worked to make sure UNC was able to sign top defensive line prospects Devonte Brown, Delvon Simmons, Shawn Underwood,  and Sylvester Williams (who enrolled in January)  in their class of 2011. Just after National Signing Day, Baker left the Tar Heels for a position with the Dallas Cowboys. UNC has since brought in Joe Robinson from LSU, giving them a total of four DL coaches since the start of the 2010 season. Now, top recruit Delvon Simmons has asked for his release from his letter of intent, and there appears to be some controversy. While the coaches were able to leave without penalty, Simmons must wait to hear whether UNC will grant him a full release, a conditional release, or hold him to his letter of intent. The situation is puzzling, even for the wild world of football recruiting. For starters, Simmons never took an official visit to Chapel Hill and did not have an in-home visit with the Tar Heel coaches. Stay tuned. The bottom line is that these coaches should be held to the same commitments and standards as their players.

Duke prepares to host Pro Day

Duke will graduate another group of outstanding seniors this year, as the

Lance King Images

program continues to build on the field while maintaining the program’s tradition of academic excellence. NFL scouts will be on hand in Wallace Wade Stadium on March 22 to take in workouts of Blue Devil seniors. Duke graduates 19 letterman this year, including starters Patrick Egboh, Brandon Harper, Brett Huffman, Austin Kelly, Brandon King, Abraham Kromah, Wes Oglesby, Chris Rwabukamba, and Damian Thornton. Best of luck to all the Duke seniors as they pursue careers in football and other fields!

Recruiting slowly starting to pick up

Lutheran (CA) LB Deion Williams will visit for Duke's spring game

Over the past week or so, recruiting has started to heat up around the country, as players and coaches assess each other’s interest. Duke hosted two junior days and entertained well over 100 recruits from the class of 2012; a few other prospects have visited Durham to take in spring practice. A handful of Duke prospects have already pledged their verbal commitments to rival ACC schools, including LB Sha’Keel Rashad to UNC, OL Mike Madaras to Maryland, QB Gray Crow to Miami, and OL Joel Suggs to Wake Forest. Hooker and Madaras both held verbal offers from Duke. The Blue Devil staff will keep an eye on these prospects, as decommitments are all too common in college football recruiting, but will focus their efforts on hundreds of other prospects, trying to find the best players for the Duke program.

The next big recruiting milestone for the Blue Devils will come on March 26, as the program hosts a number of prospects for their spring game, which is set for a 3 PM kickoff. We’ll have a full list of attendees as we get closer, but BDN has already learned that California LB Deion Williams will fly in for the weekend. Williams holds a Duke offer and is very high on the Blue Devils early in his recruitment. It’s important to note that all of these spring visits are unofficial visits, meaning that prospects must pay for their own expenses. It’s a sign of serious interest that players like Bart Houston and Deion Williams are making the trip across the country to learn more about the Duke program. I expect Duke’s recruiting to really take off in June, as Duke will host a series of camps for high school players, including Coach Cutcliffe’s QB College, which will allow the Duke coaches to evaluate prospects firsthand.

Let’s Go Duke

Thanks again for reading. Please feel free to join in on our football message board; we welcome Duke football fans of all opinions, shapes, and sizes. Until next week, you may now return to March Madness. Show your Duke pride and support the Blue Devils as they begin their championship quest tonight in Greensboro. We are Duke!

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