Duke football goes on public display on Saturday. What to watch at the spring showcase

While not a traditional spring game, Duke football gives its fans a chance to see the team at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday with the school’s spring showcase event.

Admission to the event, which begins at 1 p.m., is free with open seating throughout the stadium. Fans will be able to enter the playing field for 30 minutes following the event to meet players and coaches.

As for the football, the event is essentially an open practice. Duke coach David Cutcliffe and his staff will lead the team through what he calls “competitive drills and situational scrimmaging.”

“I think people will enjoy seeing this team compete,” Cutcliffe said. “If I had to say if there was a theme from the spring, I would have to say this has been the most competitive between our offense and defense in trading out who dominates. When you go to a showcase, that’s certainly what you hope to see is a highly competitive matchup.”

Duke went 7-6 last season, including a 3-5 ACC record. The Blue Devils played in a bowl game for the fifth time in the last six seasons, beating Northern Illinois, 36-14, in the Quick Lane Bowl at Detroit’s Ford Field.

With 47 lettermen and 16 starters back, Duke is aiming higher this season.

Here are three things for fans to keep in mind when watching the Blue Devils at Saturday’s spring showcase:

Who will be limited or unavailable due to injury?

Duke starting safety Jeremy McDuffie hasn’t worked all spring as he recovers from the torn knee ligament he suffered in a 43-20 win over Georgia Tech last Nov. 18. That’s given Marquis Waters, who’ll be a sophomore this fall, extra playing time with the starting defense.

McDuffie’s status for the season remains uncertain as he works through his recovery.

Rising junior Dylan Singleton, another safety in line to replace graduating starter Alonzo Saxton II, will miss the rest of the spring after having surgery to repair a thumb injury he suffered during a scrimmage.

Three wide receivers -- Aaron Young, T.J. Rahming and Damond Philyaw-Johnson -- are dealing with nagging muscle strain injuries. While not considered serious, they could keep them limited or out of Saturday’s showcase

Duke lost a promising young offensive tackle when redshirt freshman Patrick Leitten needed surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament last month.

Who is handling Duke’s kicking and punting duties?

Starting kicker and punter Austin Parker’s dismissal from school last December left the Blue Devils will a major hole in their special teams.

Cutcliffe said walk-on players are making the most of their opportunities this spring.

Freshman Jackson Hubbard is handing the punting.

“He’s had a good spring,” Cutcliffe said. “He’s gotten better as the spring went along. As he gets stronger he’s going to get better. I’m really glad he’s here. A non-scholarship player making a difference.”

Redshirt senior Collin Wareham is getting a shot at extra points and field goals with junior A.J. Reed, a scholarship player who struggled in the role as a freshman in 2016, also in the competition.

“He’s been here a while,” Cutcliffe said of Wareham. “This will be his fifth year. He’s a great youngster. He’s done a great job in every aspect being a Duke football player and now he’s been given a shot. He’s competing for that starting job. A.J. Reed has been better. He’s been healthy. Both have had trouble staying healthy. So there is some competitive circumstance there.”

How is the defense responding after defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ departure for Oklahoma State?

Two position coaches, Matt Guerrieri (safeties) and Ben Albert (defensive line), were promoted to co-defensive coordinators when Knowles departed for Oklahoma State.

Duke’s defense finished third in the ACC, allowing just 20.2 points per game last season. The unit has eight starters back, including all-ACC picks Joe Giles-Harris (linebacker) and cornerback Mark Gilbert (cornerback), so the potential is there for another strong season.

“What I have seen is there is an energy,” Cutcliffe said. “When you have a new opportunity, I think that’s really carried right into the players. I think our players are responding to this defensive staff.”

Duke is replacing two starters in its secondary -- Saxton and cornerback Bryon Fields -- and one up front in defensive tackle Mike Ramsay. McDuffie also remains unavailable in the secondary. Keep an eye on which players fill those slots during the situational scrimmage.

This story was originally published April 13, 2018 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Duke football goes on public display on Saturday. What to watch at the spring showcase."