Tag Archives: T.J. Rahming

Football Friday: Wide Receiver Competition

DSC_0050-001Duke's primary offensive formation features a single running back, a tight end and three wide receivers. Max McCaffrey is the lone returning starter at the wide receiver position resulting in two open starting slots.

A balanced offensive attack has been key to Duke's success over the past several seasons. In 2014, the Blue Devils scored 47 touchdowns from scrimmage with 23 coming through the air and 24 on the ground. On plays from scrimmage, Duke passed the ball 49 percent and ran 51 percent of the time. Duke gained 2,814 yards through the air, while rushing for 2,364.

While an increased emphasis on the running game is expected in 2015, maintaining offensive balance via the passing game will be a prime objective for Head Coach David Cutcliffe and Offensive Coordinator Scottie Montgomery. When the running game is clicking, the play action pass becomes a valuable weapon.

Max McCaffrey has 65 career receptions for 698 yards and seven touchdowns. He is a sure handed receiver capable of working in minimum space over the middle of the field. McCaffrey recorded a career best seven receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns in Duke's 41-3 victory over Kansas. He has started 25 games over his first three seasons as a Blue Devil.

The receiving corps will be young so McCaffrey leveraging his experience to provide on field and locker room leadership will be vital to ensuring the receivers maximize their productivity.

Johnell Barnes' bio at GoDuke.com lists him as a starting wide receiver and he is the odds on favorite to be a top receiver in 2015. Barnes has shown flashes of brilliance over his first two years so a break out season as a junior would not be a surprise. Barnes is a strong runner who can gain significant yards after catching the ball.

As a true freshman, in 2013, Barnes averages 14.5 yards per reception with a long of 50 yards. His yards per reception decreased to 10.3 during the 2014 season, but his total number of catches increased. Barnes has caught 38 passes for 454 yards and one touchdown over the first two seasons of his career.

Chris Taylor is a redshirt freshmen who has impressed the staff since his arrival on campus prior to the 2014 season. His bio at GoDuke.com lists him as a starting wide receiver. Taylor has good size at 6'1" with all reports leaking out of practice indicating he is an excellent route runner who possesses all the requisite physical skills to develop into a special player.

When practice opens in August; McCaffrey, Barnes and Taylor will be designated as the starters. Will they be the starters in New Orleans on September 3? The question this article seeks to explore: who steps up and challenges for one of those starting spots?

Here are the candidates wide receivers coach Jeffrey Farris has to work with:

Anthony Nash is 6'5" and fast. Those are tremendous physical skill sets, which set him up to compete to become an impact player. He is currently listed as a second string wide receiver. Nash, a rising redshirt junior, has caught five passes for 47 yards in 16 career games. He has the tools to be a deep threat, which can stretch defenses vertically, if he can take the next developmental step. Nash is definitely a player to keep an eye on in 2015.

Trevon Lee is a highly thought of redshirt freshman currently listed as a second string wide receiver. He was considered a leading candidate to play as a true freshmen last season but remained on the sidelines due to Duke being deep and talented at wide receiver. Lee will see the field and produce results in 2015.

Ryan Smith is currently listed as the second string slot receiver. He played as a true freshman and has caught three passes for 41 yards. He has returned four punts for 90 yards. Smith struggled with an ankle injury for part of 2013. In the victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta, he recovered two Yellow Jackets onside kicks to help preserve Duke's lead.

Quay Chambers is another big receiver at 6'3" 220. He spent his redshirt freshman year at quarterback before transitioning to wide receiver in the Spring of 2014. Coach Cutcliffe described him as an exceptional athlete back in August 2013 after Chambers ran 63 yards for a touchdown in a team scrimmage. Chambers possesses explosive big play potential and seems tailor made to see action as the motion receiver, a position where his running abilities could be utilized via the jet sweep or end around.

Terrence Alls had a terrific spring practice highlighted by his being named most improved offensive player. Unfortunately, he was subsequently suspended from game competition for a violation of team rules so his status for the 2015 season is currently unknown. His status is expected to be updated prior to the season commencing, but there is no guarantee.

And there are two true freshmen on the roster who will head to practice in August intent on jumping over the competition to earn immediate playing time:

T.J. Rahming shined at the U.S. Army All American Bowl scoring two touchdowns against top level talent. He is dimunitive at 5'10" 165 so adding strength will have to be a priority for his development. Rahming is an interesting situation as his size definitely singles him out as a redshirt candidate; however, his talent level indicates he could make an immediate impact.

Aaron Young is 6'2" 200 and a redshirt candidate in 2015.

The 2015 receiving corps will be a young group, but they are a group with a great deal of unproven talent which equates to unlimited potential or a high ceiling. It will be important for the group to take advantage of the favorable early season schedule, four home games in a row after the opener at Tulane, to work out the kinks in order to be firing on all eight cylinders when the calendar turns to October and the conference schedule starts in earnest.

Football Friday: Wide Receiver Competition

Friday Night Lights: 2014 Edition No. Six

Another week of high school football is in the books and Blue Devil Nation is here with an update on the gridiron exploits of future Blue Devils as well as Duke recruiting targets. Friday Night Lights: 2014 Edition No. 6 commences with a look at the two 2016 commits:

After verbally committing to Duke on Friday afternoon, 2016 running back Elijah Deveaux rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries Friday night as Charlotte Christian defeated Carolina Pride 62-19.

2016 wide receiver Scott Bracey caught a 44 yard touchdown pass as Benedictine defeated Bishop Ireton 29-26 on Saturday afternoon.

Moving on to future Blue Devils in the Class of 2015:

Wide receiver T.J. Rahming had three receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown as McEachern defeated North Cobb 48-28. Rahming's touchdown catch covered 43 yards. He also rushed three times for 41 yards.

Wide receiver Keyston Fuller caught a 74 yard touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter as Griffin defeated Mt. Zion-Jonesboro 41-16. Fuller was the game's leading receiver with three receptions for 81 yards.

Wide receiver Aaron Young returned a kick-off to the opponent's 48 yard line to setup the tying touchdown and Murrieta Valley went on to defeat Murrieta Mesa 50-47 in overtime.

Quarterback Quentin Harris threw two touchdown passes for 61 and nine yards, but Taft School fell to Choate 58-13. Harris completed 36 of 56 pass attempts for 309 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Top 2015 running back target Nyheim Hines ran for 147 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries as Garner destroyed Clayton 63-10.

In the amazing performances category, 2015 running back target Albert Funderburke rushed for a Union County record 457 yards in Sun Valley's 74-58 win over Piedmont. Funderburke rushed for five touchdowns including two of 71 yards each. His other three touchdown runs covered 42, 35 and seven yards.

Friday Night Lights: 2014 Edition No. Five

Welcome back Blue Devil faithful to Friday Night Lights Edition No 5 where Blue Devil Nation keeps you updated on the high school gridiron action for future Blue Devils and recruiting targets. Duke is still looking to add a running back to their 2015 class so this update will start with running back action.

Nyheim Hines rushed for 202 yards and four touchdowns as Garner defeated West Johnston 56-14 to improve to 5-1 on the season. Additionally, Hines returned a kick-off 75 yards for a touchdown. He has rushed for 1,135 yards on the season.

Ruben Garnett rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown as Aquinas won their 20th straight game 31-6 over Hancock Central. Garnett's touchdown run was for 16 yards in the 2nd quarter.

Trai Sharp sprained his right ankle on his second carry of the game and did not return to action. Carrboro lost to Randleman 27-20.

Turning to a couple of 2016 targets, Elijah Deveaux ran for 196 yards including a 48 yard touchdown as Charlotte Christian defeated Charlotte Latin 30-20.

Antonio Williams rushed for 310 yards as North Stanley defeated North Moore 42-9.

Wide receiver commit T.J. Rahming recorded seven catches for 90 yards including a 16 yard touchdown reception as McEachern defeated Marietta 37-23.

Wide receiver commit Aaron Young recorded six catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns but Murrieta Valley dropped a 38-35 decision to Elsinore.

Wide receiver commit Keyston Fuller and the Griffin Bears were idle on Friday night but here is a link to a nice article on the team's 5-0 start.

Wide receiver commit DePriest Turner, who plays quarterback for his high school team, rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another as Murphy defeated Davidson 27-14. Turner's three rushing touchdowns covered 24, six and 11 yards, while his touchdown pass went for 28.

Quentin Harris threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to lead the Taft School to an 8-6 win over Trinity-Pawling.

Friday Night Lights: 2014 Edition No. Four

Friday Night Lights is back with updates on future Blue Devils and recruiting targets. Be sure and click the links to read articles from local media on the high school exploits of these young men.

Quarterback commit Quentin Harris completed 18 of 35 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort as Taft School fell to Brunswick School 53-14. The two touchdown throws covered 16 and 30 yards. Harris also threw an interception in the game. Taft School is now 0-2 on the season.

Nyheim Hines rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries as Garner defeated East Wake 33-21. Hines also threw a touchdown pass in the game. He was sick earlier in the day with a headache and dizziness, and had to be taken to see a doctor who cleared him to play.

Tight end Tyler Petite scored on a 26 yard touchdown reception as Campolindo defeated Dublin 45-14.

Wide receiver Flynn Nagel caught four touchdown passes as Lemont defeated Oak Forest 42-20. His four touchdowns covered 56, 20, 12 and six yards. Overall, the Duke commit finished with eight catches for 166 yards.

DePriest Turner threw two 4th Quarter touchdown passes to lead Murphy over Daphne 18-17. Turner has committed to Duke as a wide receiver. The linked articles' photo gallery includes a couple of photos of Turner in action.

Ruben Garnett rushed for 86 yards and four touchdowns on 10 carries as Aquinas defeated Mount de Sales 55-35.

Albert Funderburke carried the ball 24 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns as Sun Valley defeated Monroe 48-47 in a shootout. One of Funderburke's touchdown runs was for 88 yards.

Last weekend, T.J. Rahming recorded seven catches for 88 yards including the game winning 25 yard touchdown as McEachern defeated Lovejoy 7-3. Here is a video of Rahming's touchdown reception. Rahming has been invited to participate in the Army All American Bowl.

2016 wide receiver commit Scott Bracey suffered cramps on Friday night and was removed from the game in the 3rd Quarter. Benedictine defeated St. Christopher's 23-17.

2016 running back prospect Elijah Deveaux scored on a 19 yard run as Charlotte Christian blanked Liberty Christian 10-0.

Friday Night Lights: 2014 Edition No. 3

Welcome Blue Devils faithful to Edition Number Three of Friday Night Lights where Blue Devil Nation keeps its readers up to date on the high school performances of future Blue Devils and recruiting targets. As readers take in the updates, Blue Devil Nation encourages all to click on the links, read the articles and view the video clips.

This week's update starts off in Alabama with a big offensive performance from a future Duke defensive player.

Quarterback Keith Washington rushed for 269 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries to lead Prattville to a 43-23 victory over Gulfport. Washington's touchdown runs of 24 and 19 yards both came in the 4th Quarter. He also threw two touchdown passes in the game including one for 79 yards. Washington has committed to Duke as a defensive back.

Out in California, Tyler Petite recorded three receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns as Campolindo defeated Menlo-Atherton 35-3. Petite's two touchdowns receptions were for 44 and 66 yards.

Moving back to the Southeast and Georgia action:

Keyston Fuller caught a 78 yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage as Griffin defeated Burke County 36-22.

T.J. Rahming had five catches for 64 yards but McEachern fell to 0-2 on the season with a 28-20 loss to Buford. McEachern was nationally ranked in the preseason; however, their running game is struggling due to the loss of running back Taj Griffin to a torn ACL in the season opening game. Griffin is committed to play his college ball at Oregon.

Rasheed Roundtree scored on a 65 yard return of a blocked field goal attempt as Lakeside defeated Richmond Academy 35-0. Roundtree is a 5 Star Safety from Augusta, GA who holds a scholarship offer from Duke and many other programs.

Concluding with running backs from the Old North State:

Nyheim Hines cut his list to seven schools this past week and then went out and rushed for an impressive 235 yards and four touchdowns to lead Garner to a 63-13 rout of Broughton. Hines touchdown runs went for 44, 59, 24 and 66 yards. Hines carried the ball eight times so he averaged over 29 yards per carry. Hines has rushed for 585 yards and nine touchdowns on the season. Here is a video clip of his performance.

Reggie Gallaspy rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns as Southern Guilford defeated Southeast Guilford 38-16. Gallaspy has rushed for 758 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season. His three touchdown runs this week covered 72, 10 and four yards.

Sun Valley's Albert Funderburke was held to 90 yards rushing on 23 carries as Rocky River defeated Sun Valley 21-14.

Trai Sharp rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown but Carrboro fell to Chapel Hill 41-19. Sharp's touchdown run covered nine yards.

That's a wrap for this week. Be sure and check back each and every week throughout the season to stay abreast the latest Duke Football recruiting news.

Friday Night Lights: 2014 Edition No. 1

Duke-footballWelcome back to another season of Friday Night Lights where Blue Devil Nation keeps its readers updated on high school performances of future Blue Devils as well as Duke recruiting targets. There were a limited number of players in action this past Friday night with most teams first games coming next weekend.

With running back the obvious remaining need in the Class of 2015, there is no better place to start this season's Friday Night Lights coverage. Head Coach David Cutcliffe and his staff continue to pursue several Class of 2015 running back prospects including:

Nyheim Hines threw a 72 yard touchdown on a halfback pass, but Garner fell to Middle Creek 28-21. Hines rushed for 167 yards including a 14 yard touchdown in the game.

Reggie Gallaspy carried the ball 24 times for 246 yards and three touchdowns to lead Southern Guilford to a 42-7 victory over Eastern Guilford. Gallaspy has indicated he will make his college decision in September or October and he list his Top Five schools as Arkansas, Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina State and Vanderbilt.

Ruben Garnett rushed for 181 yards and four touchdowns, on 19 carries, as Aquinas routed Glenn Hills 41-6. Garnett's touchdown runs covered eight, six, 35 and three yards. He was named Star of the Game by the Augusta Chronicle.

Albert Funderburke rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, but Sun Valley HS (Monroe, NC) fell to Hough 34-20. Funderburke's touchdown run covered 76 yards.

Charlotte Christian fell to Mallard Creek 28-21 in a meeting of two teams who won state championships last season. I was unable to find game statistics for Elijah Deveaux (2016 prospect) but this slideshow starts with a nice picture of him running the ball. Deveaux list his Top Five schools as Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest.

Incoming punter Austin Parker is a high school quarterback for the Mount Pleasant Tigers. He completed seven of 16 passes for 210 yards, but the Tigers fell to the Central Cabarrus Vikings 40-34. Parker threw two touchdown passes that covered 80 and 46 yards.

Wide receiver T.J. Rahming recorded five receptions for 175 yards in his season opener; however, his school, nationally ranked McEachern, lost to North Gwinnett 52-49. Two of Rahming's five catches were for touchdowns, which covered 74 and 35 yards.

Ringgold won their season opener 21-11 over Northwest Whitfield. Future Blue Devils DE Zach Morris plays for Ringgold.

Safety prospect Rashad Roundtree lost a heartbreaker in his season opener as North Augusta defeated Lakeside 12-10. Lakeside scored late to take a 10-9 lead but they failed to stop North Augusta who kicked a last second 38 yard field goal to secure the victory.

Sean Pollard (2016 OL) and the Pinecrest Patriots overcame a slow start to defeat Overhills 23-12. Pollard was set to announce his college destination last week before he changed his mind at the last minute and decided to push his announcement to next year. Duke is in solid shape with Pollard.

Be sure and check back next week as a full slate of games are scheduled for the future Blue Devils and Duke recruiting targets. Blue Devil Nation strives to be the go to site for Duke Blue Devils football coverage.