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Philyaw-Johnson, Rumph II Named CBS Sports Preseason All-Americans
8/21/2020 12:54:00 PM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. – Redshirt junior wide receiver and kick returner Damond Philyaw-Johnson and redshirt junior defensive end Chris Rumph II were named to the 2020 CBS Sports/247 Sports Preseason All-America Team, the organizations announced Thursday.
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Both players received second team honors as Philyaw-Johnson was selected as a kickoff return specialist and Rumph II as a defensive end. The recognition is one of many for the two Blue Devils as Philyaw-Johnson was tabbed to the Phil Steele and Sporting News preseason All-America list, while Rumph II was selected a preseason All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. In addition, both players were named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Team.
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A native of Pensacola, Fla., Philyaw-Johnson has compiled 637 all-purpose yards (88 receiving, 549 kickoff return) throughout his career (29.0 avg/g)Â and is tied with two others for third all-time on Duke's career kickoff return for TD chart. The 6-1, 170-pound wide receiver matched the NCAA single-game record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns against Wake Forest in 2019. Those two kickoff returns for scores in a single game marked just the second time in ACC history a player achieved the feat.
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His 251 kickoff return yards versus the Demon Deacons also marked the highest single-game total in school history, while his 98-yarder in that contest tied him with Shaun Wilson for the 10th longest return in program history. In 22 career games, Philyaw-Johnson has 17 returns, 549 yards (32.29 average) and two touchdowns.
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Rumph II has seen action in every game so far in his Duke career (25) and owns 72 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four pass breakups and 13 quarterback pressures. The Gainesville, Fla., product has 16 games with 2+ tackles, including a career-high eight stops against Miami in 2019. He recorded 2.0+ tackles for loss five times with a career-best 4.0 coming at Georgia Tech in 2018 and at Middle Tennessee in 2019. The 4.0 tackles for loss matched the Duke single-game freshman record (2018) and rank him tied for seventh on the program's overall single-game TFL chart (2x).
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Rumph II earned 6.5 sacks during the 2019 season to place him tied with Phillip Alexander (2003) for ninth all-time on Duke's single-season charts. He heads into his redshirt junior season riding a 20-game tackle streak, dating back to Oct. 13, 2018 and is ranked as the No. 2 returning edge defender in the country by ESPN.com.
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The 2020 season presented a new challenge for CBS Sports and 247 Sports as some conferences have opted out of playing in the fall. Because of that, CBS Sports and 247 Sports combined their preseason All-America lists for the first time, selecting only players that are playing in the fall. The ACC tallied the second-most overall selections by a conference, holding 15 of the 54 spots.
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The Blue Devils' amended 2020 schedule has them scheduled to kick off their season on the road at Notre Dame on Sept. 12.Â
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#GoDuke
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Both players received second team honors as Philyaw-Johnson was selected as a kickoff return specialist and Rumph II as a defensive end. The recognition is one of many for the two Blue Devils as Philyaw-Johnson was tabbed to the Phil Steele and Sporting News preseason All-America list, while Rumph II was selected a preseason All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. In addition, both players were named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Team.
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A native of Pensacola, Fla., Philyaw-Johnson has compiled 637 all-purpose yards (88 receiving, 549 kickoff return) throughout his career (29.0 avg/g)Â and is tied with two others for third all-time on Duke's career kickoff return for TD chart. The 6-1, 170-pound wide receiver matched the NCAA single-game record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns against Wake Forest in 2019. Those two kickoff returns for scores in a single game marked just the second time in ACC history a player achieved the feat.
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His 251 kickoff return yards versus the Demon Deacons also marked the highest single-game total in school history, while his 98-yarder in that contest tied him with Shaun Wilson for the 10th longest return in program history. In 22 career games, Philyaw-Johnson has 17 returns, 549 yards (32.29 average) and two touchdowns.
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Rumph II has seen action in every game so far in his Duke career (25) and owns 72 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four pass breakups and 13 quarterback pressures. The Gainesville, Fla., product has 16 games with 2+ tackles, including a career-high eight stops against Miami in 2019. He recorded 2.0+ tackles for loss five times with a career-best 4.0 coming at Georgia Tech in 2018 and at Middle Tennessee in 2019. The 4.0 tackles for loss matched the Duke single-game freshman record (2018) and rank him tied for seventh on the program's overall single-game TFL chart (2x).
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Rumph II earned 6.5 sacks during the 2019 season to place him tied with Phillip Alexander (2003) for ninth all-time on Duke's single-season charts. He heads into his redshirt junior season riding a 20-game tackle streak, dating back to Oct. 13, 2018 and is ranked as the No. 2 returning edge defender in the country by ESPN.com.
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The 2020 season presented a new challenge for CBS Sports and 247 Sports as some conferences have opted out of playing in the fall. Because of that, CBS Sports and 247 Sports combined their preseason All-America lists for the first time, selecting only players that are playing in the fall. The ACC tallied the second-most overall selections by a conference, holding 15 of the 54 spots.
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The Blue Devils' amended 2020 schedule has them scheduled to kick off their season on the road at Notre Dame on Sept. 12.Â
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#GoDuke
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