Duke Opens Spring Practice Monday

A Duke football helmet sits next to a player prior to 2019 spring practice

Duke Opens Spring Practice Monday

3/1/2020 1:05:00 PM | Football

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke football team officially will be back in action Monday when the Blue Devils kick off spring practice at the Brooks Practice Facility.

Head coach David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils will use the allotted 15 practice sessions allowed by the NCAA during the spring in preparation for the 2020 season. One of those practice sessions will be devoted to the team's annual Spring Showcase, which is set for Saturday, April 4 at 10 a.m.

Duke returns 14 starters and 43 lettermen from last year's squad. Three of those returning lettermen garnered All-America honors in tight end Noah Gray, kick returner Damond Philyaw-Johnson and defensive end Chris Rumph II.

On offense, Duke welcomes back seven starters including All-ACC honorees Gray and center Jack Wohlabaugh. In 2019, Gray finished with a team-best 51 receptions for 392 yards and three touchdowns. Another returning receiving target from 2019 is Freshman All-America selection Jalon Calhoun, who was Duke's leader in receiving yards (420) and finished third among Power 5 freshman wideouts nationally in pass receptions (46).

Up front, the Blue Devils will have four of its five starters back in guard Rakavius Chambers, tackles Casey Holman and Jacob Monk as well as Wohlabaugh. This unit ranked fifth in the ACC in sacks allowed and 15th nationally in tackles for loss allowed last year.

Duke must replace starting quarterback Quentin Harris, who concluded his career having completed 250-of-438 (.571) passes for 2,588 yards with 24 touchdowns, while rushing 238 times for 2,588 yards and 14 scores in 35 games. Rising redshirt junior Chris Katrenick, who served as the backup to Harris in 2019, saw action in five games for Duke last fall and finished the season with two touchdowns accounted for (one passing and one rushing).

Defensively, seven starters return, including Rumph II who received All-America and All-ACC accolades in 2019. Fellow end and All-ACC selection Victor Dimukeje returns as well. Rumph II posted 47 tackles and was tops on the team with 13.5 tackles for loss (7th in the ACC), while adding 6.5 sacks to rank second on the team. Dimukeje ranked fourth in the ACC, and was tied for 17th nationally with 8.5 sacks, while also ranking tied for 21st in the league with 9.5 tackles for loss.

In addition, Duke brings back the majority of its defensive back unit, including four-of-five starters in cornerback Josh Blackwell, safety Michael Carter II, cornerback Leonard Johnson and safety Marquis Waters. Despite losing the team's Most Valuable Player in safety Dylan Singleton (87 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles) due to graduation, Duke returns 11 letterwinners, and will look to add former All-America cornerback Mark Gilbert, who is returning from an injury suffered versus Northwestern in 2018, and safety J'Marick Woods, a graduate transfer from Michigan, into the rotation as well.

The Blue Devils must replace starter Koby Quansah, an All-ACC linebacker who led the Blue Devils and was fifth in the ACC in tackles with 105 a year ago. Returning redshirt sophomore Shaka Heyward (68 tackles) and redshirt senior Brandon Hill (52) combined to split time at Duke's other linebacker position in 2019, earning 120 tackles between them.

Five members of Duke's 2020 Signing Class – quarterback Luca Diamont, wide receiver Malik Bowen-Sims, linebacker Christian Hood, defensive end Michael Reese, and defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles – enrolled in January and will participate in spring drills.

The Blue Devils open 2020 at home for three straight games when Middle Tennessee (Sept. 5), Elon (Sept. 12), and Charlotte (Sept. 17) come to Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. Duke also will host Wake Forest (Oct. 3), North Carolina (Oct. 17), Virginia (Nov. 13), and Virginia Tech (Nov. 21) this season.

Season tickets can be purchased by visiting GoDuke.com/FootballTix or by calling the Duke Athletics Ticket Office at 919-681-BLUE (2583).

#GoDuke