Tag Archives: Patrick Cacchio

Duke Football

Kyler Brown recaps his senior year and gives his thoughts on Duke

Kelby and Kyler Brown

In 2010, freshman linebacker Kelby Brown was one of the brightest stars on the Duke defense, finishing the season 3rd on the team in tackles, 2nd in sacks, and leading the ACC with four fumble recoveries. Unfortunately, Kelby’s season was cut short by a knee injury, but after a successful offseason surgery, the Blue Devils plan for him to be ready for the season opener against Richmond on September 3.

Duke fans are hoping to see Kelby joined on the field by his brother, Kyler, a 6’4” 215 pound defensive prospect from Charlotte Christian High School. With the recent departure of co-defensive coordinator Marion Hobby, some fans have feared that Duke’s 2011 defensive prospects may begin to look elsewhere. Blue Devil Nation recently spoke with Kyler to learn about his senior season and where he stands with his commitment to Duke.

BDN: Can you give us a brief recap of your senior season?

I felt like we had a pretty good season. Even though we finished 6-5, the games that we lost were all really close except for one. We did pretty well and I did pretty well. The other teams ran away from me a lot, but I still did get some tackles in, I think I got 103, so it was a pretty good year and lots of fun.

 BDN: In what areas do you think you improved the most from your junior to senior year?

I think, well, we had great coaches and everything in high school even. They taught me a lot this year and I’ve been getting a lot of fundamentals down and stuff. I still need to learn that obviously, because I mean everybody does. Also, just my knowledge for the game is increasing. I watched a lot of film this year of the other teams and of myself and the rest of my team. My knowledge has increased a lot. Also, my strength – I’ve gotten a lot better on that with lifting and everything.

Kyler Brown finished with 103 tackles for Charlotte Christian

BDN: How much were you able to follow your brother and the Duke program and what are your thoughts on their season?

Well, I thought it was not as good as we’d hoped, but I mean, I can count off at least five games that we lost that were all really close. I think four of those we definitely should have won, and it just came down to either the last second or some mistakes in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, we had a great year, I thought. The coaches are doing wonders in upgrading the team and improving Duke football.

 BDN: Can you talk a little about your relationship with the coaching staff and how much you’ve been in contact with them?

I’ve been up to Duke a couple times, I actually don’t know how many times exactly, but I’ve seen all the coaches there. And I’ve also had the coaches come to visit and we had a good time, good talks and everything. My relationship with Coach Cut is awesome, he’s a great coach. My recruiting coordinator is Coach Lubick and he’s been great.

 BDN: What are some of the things you’ve talked to the coaching staff about? What do you expect your role to be on the Duke defense?

As far as redshirts go, we don’t know whether I’m going to be able to redshirt or not. It was the same thing with my brother last year, they had no clue. They decided at the beginning of the year that they were going to redshirt him, but keep him around in case they needed him. He eventually made his way to starting, so you never know. You never know what’s going to happen. I’m either going to be a defensive end or an outside linebacker, or maybe just a dropdown linebacker or a pullback defensive end – just more of a hybrid of those two positions. I’ll be able to mix in between those two.

 

BDN: You mentioned your brother and I know Duke fans were excited with the season he had for Duke. What have you been able to learn from his experience and what to expect as you make the transition to the college game?

Speed. He mentioned how fast it is compared to high school and that you just have to give it your all every single play. You have to be able to just play fast, even if you don’t react fast enough, you just have to deal with it and adjust. Also, a big thing is just shedding blockers at linebacker and at defensive end. He’s talked about how you just have to be quicker than them, have better hands than them, and just keep them off you as much as you can. It’s all just great advice from him.

 BDN: What are your plans between now and signing day and for the rest of your senior year?

Well, right now I’m not playing a sport. I’m just lifting hard, as hard as I can, getting strong and keeping my conditioning up. Playing basketball a little bit, playing some pick up games, and really not much besides that. The big thing is lifting right now and I’m also putting on weight, so that’s also good. For visits, they have a banquet for the football players this weekend, so I’m going up there for my brother and with the team and do that. I think we’re going to go to a [Duke] basketball game and then later I’m going to go to the NC State basketball game with one of the kids in my class.

 

BDN: When are you planning to enroll at Duke?

I’m thinking about more of the second shift at the beginning of July.

 

BDN: I know Duke fans are really looking forward to it. Thanks a lot, Kyler. Safe travels to Durham and best of luck with the rest of your senior year.

Alright. Thank you, good talking with you.

 

The Blue Devils will host several prospects on official visits this weekend and BDN will have more football coverage coming all next week.

Duke Football

Maryland linebacker will enroll early at Duke

Duke commit Jon Woodruff makes a tackle

Head Coach David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils will welcome one new member to the 2011 roster this spring in Jon Woodruff, a 6’3” 215 pound linebacker from the state of Maryland. Woodruff will enroll in Duke this month, coming off a senior season this past fall that earned him 1st team All-Southern Maryland Athletic Conference and 2nd team All-State honors. Playing for Westlake High School in Waldorf, MD, Woodruff recorded 36 tackles, 10 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries (1 for a touchdown), and a safety; the Wolverines finished the season 9-2 overall and 7-1 in their conference. Jon committed to the Blue Devils after attending a camp in Durham last June, where he ran the 40 in 4.6 seconds. BDN checked in with Jon before he heads to Durham for the spring semester.

BDN: Can you tell our members a little bit about your decision to commit to Duke?

I really decided to come to Duke because of the education and because I want to be a part of an up and coming football program. I’ve been talking to the coaches and they have a lot of big plans for what they’re going to be doing with the team, so I want to be a part of that right now while it’s starting.

BDN: You played mostly defensive line this year in high school; can you talk about what you expect your role to be at Duke?

They want me to play outside linebacker, so I’m going to have to adjust from a 3 point stance to standing up in the open field, so it’s going to be a change, but I expect it to be an easy one.

BDN: How much were you able to follow Duke’s season and what are your thoughts on the Duke team?

I was able to watch most of the games and I thought they way they played – they played a faster pace and they don’t quit. They play all four quarters.

BDN: Based on what you were able to see of the Duke team this year, what are you hoping to bring to the team when you get on campus?

I think I’m going to bring a little bit more speed to the defense.

BDN: It looks like you had a great senior year at Westlake, both as a team and individually. What were your thoughts on how your senior year went?

I think the year went pretty well for the whole team. I did good personally, and we could have done better, but everything happens for a reason.

BDN: I know you haven’t had a lot of time off, but what have you been working on as you prepare to get on campus at Duke?

I’ve been running and just doing pushups. When I can lift, I lift whenever it’s available for me.

BDN: Thanks so much, Jon. Best of luck at Duke.

Alright, no problem.

Duke Football

2011 Commit Chris Tavarez Updates BDN on his Official Visit and Senior Year

Happy New Year, Blue Devil Nation! 2011 will be an important year for Head Coach David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devil football program, as they look to continue their rebuilding effort and bring Duke to its first bowl game since 1994. While Duke will return a number of talented players on both sides of the ball, the 2011 recruiting class also features an impressive group of athletes that will bolster the depth at several positions. It is no secret that the Duke defensive secondary struggled in 2010, and the class of 2011 will add 3 players who expect to fight for playing time in the backfield as true freshmen. Among these is Chris Tavarez, a 5’11” safety out of Atlanta, Georgia. Chris was in Durham on an official visit in December and caught up with Blue Devil Nation afterwards.

BDN: Can you briefly recap your official visit to Duke?

I went down there with all of the other committed players and a few of them that weren’t committed and I had a lot of fun. My host was Matt Daniels, who is the starting strong safety, which I’m trying to play at Duke, and also the leading tackler. That was cool to see, you know, from a leader’s standpoint; I got to ask him questions and see how he likes Duke and his experiences, and even the bad parts about Duke, what he doesn’t like or what he wishes he could change, what he wants to improve on. That was cool, he was a great host. We ate a whole bunch, we ate a lot, probably four times a day, which is great because I’m always hungry and I’m always stressing to my parents that I’ve got to eat. It was fun and I learned a lot. I got to meet with a business major and talk to him, because I’m planning on either being a business major or a sociology major, so I got to talk to the business major and that was great to get his insight and his points. I think the most important part for me was that I got to talk to the safeties coach, Coach Knowles, and we broke down film and we got on board and he explained to me that I would best at playing the rover position at safety, and broke down every position in the defense. He told me what my best assets were and what Duke needed me for basically. I loved it, it was a great time, I got to talk to Coach Cutcliffe, the head coach, and yeah, everything was good.

BDN: There were some other commits in the secondary on campus that weekend. Can you talk about your relationship with them?

I was with Tim Burton and Jared Boyd. That was my first time meeting Tim, but I had met Jared, because Jared plays for Stephenson, a school – actually a powerhouse – over here in Georgia. He’s one of the best d-backs in Georgia, so I’ve met him through combines and we’ve played each other, and they really gave it to us, they killed us. [Laughs] Yeah, though, I actually met Jared at a combine at Georgia Tech, so that was cool to kind of be in competition with someone and then realize that he’s going to the same school as you. So that’s good to know we’re going to be on the same team. I met Tim, who I had heard a lot about Tim going into the official. I heard that he was probably one of the fastest recruits that we’ve got, so that’s good because speed is always needed. He’s a small guy, but what I love about Tim is that he talks a big game. Usually people that talk a big game have to bring some results after it, they have to bring some skill, so I love those guys, because I’m like that. I’m really talkative on the field, always trying to hype my boys up, always trying to make the next play, so I think that’s what we really need in 2011 and that’s going to be a great asset on the football field. I’m really psyched about our secondary, I think we’re going to look strong – all three of us have the potential to start and play as freshmen.

BDN: How much were you able to follow Duke’s season and where do you think the program is headed?

Duke’s 2010 season, it wasn’t all that, obviously. I think that we could have won a lot of games, we could have won at least 5 of those games that we lost. A lot of those games were lost by a touchdown or below, so it’s not like we’re just getting pummeled by these teams. It was just the little mistakes, I mean, we’re a young team and it’s the little mistakes that we’re making that didn’t get us the victory. I think with a lot of changes and with the recruits, we can definitely be top ACC contenders. I give us, probably two years, and we’ll be top ACC contenders, because it’s only the small things we have to change. We definitely have a bright future, our recruiting is getting way stronger and by no time we’ll be up there with the basketball program.

BDN: It looks like your team had a tough season. Can you give us a brief recap of your senior year for us?

What’s ironic is that we were going through the same thing Duke was with a very inexperienced, young team. We ended up 3-7 and it was kind of hard, because I’m coming off of a season, my junior year, where we only lost 2 games during the season and made it to the playoffs, to come to 3-7. So it was a pretty difficult time for me and I was also injured, mostly half of the season with a high ankle sprain, that I had to take easy and ice everyday in practice. It really sucked, but when I came back they put me at middle linebacker because I was one of the strongest hitters and one of the guys that makes sure tackles, so they put me at middle linebacker and I tried to do the best I could there, even though I was undersized being 190 or 185. I also played special teams, kickoff, kick return and that’s about it. I think Westlake, just like Duke, is going to have a good future in the years to come because we’re a really young team.

BDN: What are your plans for the offseason? What’s next for you?

My plan right now, Patrick, is just to get faster, stronger, and bigger. That’s my whole thing. What I got a lot from the players is really stress conditioning. After I sign my letter of intent, Duke will be sending me a book on the conditioning that I need to start working on and my workout plan. The players and the coaches really, I mean in capitals, REALLY stressed the conditioning because no one wants to go there as a freshman planning on playing and can’t even run the conditioning requirements. I’m really working on that. I want to get big, but I also want to keep my stamina where it is. Those are my plans. I want to at least get to Duke at around 205 or 210 pounds, and then during summer camp and all the conditioning I’ll probably slim back down to 200, 195 so I can be solid enough to play. Those are really my things. I also want to be able to learn the playbook pretty fast, so I’m always in touch with Matt Daniels, the safety over there, asking him about the plays and coverages and stuff like that.

BDN: When can Duke fans expect to see you on campus?

I actually have to talk to my counselor about that, but most likely the first session, I’ll be there, I think it’s May 18. I’d then have to fly back down for my graduation and then I’ll go back up there. It’s looking like the first session, I don’t know for sure.

BDN: That’s great. Thanks so much, Chris. We all look forward to seeing you in Durham. Best of luck with your senior year.

Yessir, thank you Patrick.

Blue Devil fans can catch Chris in the annual Metro Atlanta All Star Game, which will be played on January 8 at Grady Stadium in Atlanta. Blue Devil Nation will continue to bring updates on Duke football’s class of 2011 right up through signing day.

Duke Football

OL commit Marcus Aprahamian recaps his official visit and senior season

Duke Offensive Line Coach Matt Luke has secured an impressive group of verbal commitments for the class of 2011, including Wisconsin native Marcus Aprahamian. Marcus is a 6’5” 300 pound offensive lineman from Brookfield, who committed to the Blue Devils back in May and will compete for playing time at offensive tackle and guard in 2011. Blue Devil Nation checked in with Marcus after his recent visit to Durham.

BDN: Can you recap your visit last weekend and describe how that went?
It was great. We got there Friday night, me, my mom, and my dad. We got to the hotel and we met some of the commitments, players, parents, and coaches. Then we went out to dinner and talked more with some of the players there and got to ask them questions. We got to go out with the players two nights and see what Duke is like outside of football. That was a lot of fun. Saturday, we got to see all the academic stuff, all the weightlifting and training facilities. That was pretty great to see all that. Sunday we had a nice breakfast, then me, my mom, and my dad got to talk to Coach Cutcliffe about Duke football.

BDN: Some of the other offensive linemen in your class have mentioned that you guys have stayed in touch throughout the year. Can you talk about your relationship with the other Duke commits and players?
Those guys are awesome. All the commitments are just great guys and fun to be with. They’re easy to talk to and just a lot of fun. It’s easy to talk football with them because we all just love football so much. All the players at Duke right now, I mean I know I got very close to all the offensive linemen there, just in one weekend, so it should be great to form so more bonds with those guys and just be around them.

BDN: Where do you and the Duke coaches see you fitting in with the program?
They were saying how excited they were about not only me but this entire recruiting class. We’re the future of this program. Coach Luke has been talking to me about playing either guard or tackle. Out of the five commitments we have for the offensive line, one is for-sure center, two are for-sure guards, and one is for-sure tackle, and I’m kind of the guy who can play guard or tackle.

BDN: How much were you able to follow Duke’s season and what were your impressions?
I was talking to Dave Harding, who was the starting left guard for them. He was my host for this visit and he was saying how much closer they’re getting and how much more pain they feel for the losses. He was saying that’s a good thing, that pain they’re feeling for the losses, because it just shows they’re that close to being a great program. The more pain you feel for those losses the better you will be in the future. We’re excited. It should be a good future for Duke football.

BDN: I know you guys had a bit of an up and down season, but individually you were named to the All-Area team, among other accolades. Can you recap how your senior season went?
As a team, I thought we did pretty good. We made it back to the playoffs after one year of not being in it. I wish we could have gotten more, maybe a couple more games. But I just look at it as great memories with all those guys. The new coaching staff that we had, it was great to meet all of them. I think that the Brookfield Central program will be great in the future, there are a lot of really good players coming up. Personally, I thought I had a pretty good season. I got knocked out for a game with a concussion and I was pretty bummed out about that. We had 11 injuries this season and I think that may have kept us from going farther in the playoffs.

BDN: What are your plans between now and when you arrive on campus?
My plans right now are just to keep working really hard. I would like to make an impact as a freshmen, maybe get some playing time. If I could start, that would be awesome, but if I get redshirted, that’s ok. I’m just going to keep working hard. Hopefully I can go back to Duke and maybe go to a basketball game or something. I know the coaches – Coach Cutcliffe and Coach Luke – will be coming over to my house for dinner sometimes. I should be graduating around June 12 and the week after that will head to Duke for camp.

BDN: Thanks so much for speaking with me, Marcus. I know Duke fans are really looking forward to seeing you in Durham.
Alright, thank you very much.

Don’t forget to bookmark Blue Devil Nation as your source for Duke football recruiting updates all offseason.

Duke Football

DL Prospect Lucas Fisher talks of his visit to Duke

It’s no secret that the Duke defense struggled in 2010 and will have to make improvements if Duke is to compete for a bowl in 2011. In order for improvements to be made, Duke will need some more depth along the defensive front, and in-state prospect Lucas Fisher hopes to be able to help. Lucas is a 6’3” 250 pound defensive end from Monroe, North Carolina. Lucas committed to the Blue Devils back in July and recently was on campus for his official visit.

BDN: Can you briefly recap your visit to Duke last weekend?

When I went down there it was just really cool to meet all the guys that I’m going to be up there with, all the players. It really solidified my decision on going there. I’d been on a visit before but not with other guys that I’m going to be there with. The guys that were already there were really inviting, just everything I saw from the facilities just says that Duke is going to be a winning program. They have all the tools. The academic support is there. It just made me feel a lot better about my decision.

 

BDN: Who were some of the other players you were able to meet while you were there?

Ryan Hall was my host, he’s a tight end on the team. I met a few other guys: Kevin Rojas, Dave Harding were a few that I met. I met a bunch of commits, a few that I’m going to be with: Kyler Brown, Carson Ginn, Britton Grier. Those were a few of the guys I met.

 

BDN: Where do you and the coaches see yourself fitting in at Duke?

They said I’m going to start at defensive end and I’ll do my best there. Coach Hobby told me I’ll start out at defensive end and could eventually move to defensive tackle, depending on how my frame turns out - if I put on weight fast or not. He wants me to be out there rushing the passer, coming off the edge. I think that will be my role - rushing the passer.

 

BDN: Were you able to follow Duke’s season and what were your thoughts on their year and where the program is headed?

I noticed that Duke was in a ton of close games this year, and they really out-physicaled a bunch of teams. For instance, in the Miami game, even though the score was like 28-14, they really dominated them on both sides of the ball, but turnovers just hurt them. I think they had 5 games that the margin was 6 points or less. They’ve really been in close games and regardless of wins or losses, it shows that they’re competitive and are this close to having a winning record and in the future hopefully an ACC Championship.

 

BDN: I know your school had a pretty good season. Can you recap your senior season for us, both for your team and yourself?

Our season was really good. At the start of the year, nobody expected us to be competitive even in the league, much less the playoffs, but we went 11-2 and won the conference championship. That was only the 3rd conference championship in our school’s 50 year history, so it was really good to hang a banner up and have something we can come back and see. On the year, I thought I had a good season, I actually got Conference Player of the Year for defense. I thought our whole defense got better the entire year and I think I got better as I got more experience.

 

BDN: What are your plans for the rest of your senior year?

Right now, I’m just trying to stay in shape. I’m actually trying to put on a little weight. I’ve been working out every since our season ended, cardio and weights. Just trying to be strong enough so that when I get there I’m not behind.

 

BDN: When can Duke fans expect to see you on campus?

I’ll start during the second session of workouts because I don’t graduate until after June 10.

 

BDN: Thanks so much, Lucas. We look forward to seeing you in Durham.

Alright, thank you.

 

Duke Football

BDN’s Boston College at Duke Football Preview

Boston College is looking to shut down the Duke recieving corps - BDN Photo, Rick Crank

The Blue Devils (3-6, 1-4 ACC) host an unfamiliar ACC opponent on Saturday in Boston College (4-5, 2-4 ACC). The game will be televised on espn3.com, but tickets are still available from the Duke Ticket Office for local fans. The festivities will begin at 9:45 AM with the Blue Devil Walk, and the game will kickoff at 12 noon in Wallace Wade Stadium. BDN breaks down the ACC matchup between two teams riding 2-game winning streaks after struggling early.

Duke in Week 10

The Blue Devils outlasted the Virginia Cavaliers, 55-48 in a thriller last Saturday in Durham. Keith Payne scored for UVA with 2:28 remaining to give the Cavaliers a 48-47 lead. Sean Renfree led the Blue Devils on an impressive comeback drive, including a clutch 4th and 18 conversion to Donovan Varner to put the Blue Devils into field goal territory with under a minute remaining. The role of hero was played by Desmond Scott, who had fumbled earlier in the 4th quarter. With 40 seconds remaining, the sophomore took the handoff for a 35-yard diving touchdown run along the Duke sideline. The Duke defense managed to hold off the Cavaliers in the final 40 seconds to seal the 55-48 victory. Defensively, Duke gave up over 600 total yards to Virginia, as QB Marc Verica, RB Keith Payne and WR Dontrelle Inman all had big days for the Cavaliers. CB Ross Cockrell hauled in two interceptions and S Walt Canty added a third, as the Blue Devils won the turnover battle 3-1. For Duke, the QB tandem of Renfree and Brandon Connette scored four touchdowns on the ground while adding 259 yards through the air. TE Cooper Helfet led the Duke receivers with a touchdown and over 100 yards receiving.

Boston College in Week 10

The Eagles traveled to Winston Salem and came away with a 23-13 win over Wake Forest last Saturday. Boston College jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after an interception and a 26-yard touchdown run by RB Montel Harris. The game was dominated by the Boston College defense, which forced 5 turnovers on the day and held the Demon Deacons to just 69 yards rushing. Harris continued his All-ACC caliber year with a big day on the ground, which included 36 carries for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns. Freshman QB Chase Rettig was 12/16 for 133 yards with 2 interceptions. The Eagles finished the day just 3/12 on 3rd downs and also had an extra point blocked, but the defense was able to contain the Demon Deacons.

Analysis

The Duke offense seems to have hit its stride the past two weeks, moving the ball with relative ease both through the air and on the ground, but will face a stiff test on Saturday against the Boston College defense. The Eagles are loaded with playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, led by All-American LB Mark Herzlich. Sophomore LB Luke Kuechly leads the nation in tackles with 125, for an average of 13.9 per game. Senior Alex Albright anchors the defensive front and ranks among the ACC leaders in sacks and tackles for loss. Junior CB Donnie Fletcher and sophomore CB Jim Noel have hauled in 9 interceptions between them. Overall, the defensive unit leads the country with 17 interceptions, and ranks 3rd in the country against the run, giving up just 82 yards per game on the ground.

Offensively, the Eagles have relied heavily on junior RB Montel Harris, who leads the ACC in rushing and ranks just outside the top 10 nationally at 113 yards per game. His workload has increased of late, carrying over 35 times in each of the last two games, both Boston College victories. At QB, the Eagles are less established, with a true freshman in Chase Rettig starting under center. For the season, the freshman has thrown for 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions with a 53% completion percentage in 5 career starts. His favorite targets on the year have been fellow freshman Bobby Swigert and Johnathan Coleman. The key for the Eagles has been the play of their offensive line, and with multiple starters expected to miss Saturday’s game, they will have to piece together a unit to block for Harris and protect their freshman signal-caller. In all, Boston College ranks last in the conference in points per game and last in 3rd down conversions.

This is a matchup that pretty much features strength against strength and weakness against weakness. The Eagles rank last in the ACC in scoring offense, but Duke ranks last in the ACC in scoring defense. Duke has struggled to run the ball this season, while the Eagles are third in the country in defending the run. Boston College has given up some yards through the air, but has also pulled down 17 interceptions; interceptions have really cost the Blue Devils in their losses this season. Boston College should be able to have success running the ball against a porous Duke defense, but the Blue Devils should also be able to move the ball through the air against the Eagles.

Keys to the game for Duke:

  1. 1. Sean Renfree vs. the BC defense: Boston College will try to pressure the Blue Devils into turnovers, and the sophomore QB cannot add to the Eagles’ NCAA-leading interception total.
  2. 2. Montel Harris vs. the Duke defense: Duke will have to find a way to slow down Harris enough to force BC into passing situations, where they rank last in the ACC in 3rd down conversions. Duke will look for big plays from the likes of Abraham Kromah, Kelby Brown, Charlie Hatcher, and Matt Daniels to keep Boston College’s dynamic rusher under wraps.
  3. 3. Special teams: Duke should have an advantage on special teams, where BC ranks near the bottom of the conference in kick and punt returns. Big plays on special teams will take some pressure off the Duke offense and good kick coverage will leave the Eagles with a long field.

Prediction

Boston College will look to get out to an early lead against the Blue Devils and then rely on their stingy defense to force turnovers and keep the Blue Devils out of the end zone. Duke will have its hands full trying to contain Montel Harris, and will have to pressure Rettig to force stops on 3rd down. If Renfree and the Blue Devils can continue to roll offensively, it may be difficult for the Eagles and their young QB to keep up.

Duke 31
Boston College 30