Duke’s David Cutcliffe needs a new offensive line coach. Here’s why
A Duke offensive line that struggled with pass blocking this season will have a new coach next season.
Jim Bridge, an assistant on David Cutcliffe’s staff since 2016 who coached the offensive line the last two seasons, resigned on Wednesday, according to a university source with direct knowledge of the situation.
The person requested anonymity because Duke had yet to make the information public.
Bridge, who also coached in the ACC at Boston College (2003-06) and N.C. State (2007-12), is pursuing other coaching opportunities.
While going 5-7 and missing a bowl game for just the second time in the last eight seasons, Duke allowed 28 sacks in 2019. Only four other ACC schools allowed fewer, but that statistic only tells part of the story of the line’s performance.
Pro Football Focus College’s analysis of all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision offensive lines rated Duke No. 111.
In passing situations, the Blue Devils allowed pressure just 2.29 seconds after the snap. That’s second-worst in the country.
While the pass-blocked was rated No. 125 overall, Duke’s run-blocking was rated No. 69 nationally.
The Blue Devils started a pair of newcomers at the tackle positions, with redshirt freshman Casey Holman starting all 12 games at left tackle and Cornith Holders High School product
Jacob Monk, a freshman from Clayton, also starting 12 games.
Junior center Jack Wohlabaugh, Duke’s highest-rated blocker according to PFF College, started the first nine games despite suffering a left ankle injury in a 45-10 win at Virginia Tech on Sept. 27. After playing while hobbled for the next four games, he ended his season on Nov. 12 when he had surgery to repair the ankle.
Expectations are he’ll be ready to play as a senior.
Holman, Monk and Wohlabaugh are among four starters returning along the line. Junior Rak Chambers started all 12 games at right guard.
Redshirt senior Zach Baker started 11 of the 12 games at left guard. Redshirt freshman Maurice McIntyre replaced Baker for one game and will compete for the starting job in spring practice.
In addition to a shakeup in the coaching staff, several Duke players from last year’s team are in the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to a national database published by 247sports.com.
Most are graduate transfers who decided to leave the program and play immediately next season at another school. They include running back Brittain Brown, wide receivers Scott Bracey and Aaron Young, offensive lineman Liam Smith, linebackers Jacob Morgenstern and Xander Gagnon and safety Javon Jackson.
Brown, Duke’s leading rusher with 701 yards as a freshman in 2017, played only nine games in 2018 and three in 2019 due to injuries. He will have two seasons of eligibility at his new school.
The lone undergraduate in the portal is freshman defensive back Isaiah Kemp from Wilmington’s Hoggard High School. He enrolled at Duke last summer. Unless he wins an NCAA appeal to play immediately, he will have to sit out a year before playing at his new school.
Conversely, Duke added a graduate transfer in former Michigan safety J’Marick Woods, who will have two seasons of eligibility with the Blue Devils.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 5:52 PM.