Duke depth chart breakdown - linebackers: How they’ll replace lost experience
A pandemic, no fans allowed at home games and a lack of depth across its defense are three things Duke football is facing this season.
It’s hard to overlook the gaping hole left at linebacker with four experienced players not returning this season. Leading tackler Koby Quansah, who tallied 105 total tackles in the 2019 season and was named ACC Linebacker of the Week after his game-high 13 tackles against Virginia Tech, graduated.
Redshirt senior Brandon Hill opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Last season, Hill played in nine games and started six while making 52 tackles and four tackles for loss. In the 27 games he’s played in his career at Duke, he has 101 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 10 starts.
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In addition to four true freshmen joining the linebacker group, Duke has five returning players, all of whom have a variety of experience.
There’s redshirt freshmen Mason Russell, who played in the first two games in 2019, and Sayyid Stevens, who played in the final four games of the 2019 season. Redshirt sophomores Shaka Heyward and Rocky Shelton will lead the pack with experience a combined 31 career games and Heyward’s six starts. Junior Cole Carteaux hasn’t played in a game since 2018, when he played in two.
With its season-opener at Notre Dame approaching on Sept. 12, Duke is hoping its underclassmen continue to step up as they head into a season that’s been altered due to the pandemic.
“I feel like it’s definitely been a long wait,” Heyward said. “Just waiting to see if we’d have a season in the first place. I think a lot of the guys are definitely excited.”
Here’s a breakdown of Duke’s linebacker position:
Who is expected to start?
Head coach David Cutcliffe typically gravitates towards a 4-2-5 defensive strategy, which only requires two linebackers to be on the field, and the underclassmen are leading the charge with Heyward and Shelton at the forefront.
Heyward, who’s 6-4 and 220 pounds, is expected to be in a leadership role this season. He played in all 12 games last season and finished fourth on the team with 68 tackles. He recorded 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception and two fumble recoveries, tying with Quansah for the team high in 2019.
The 6-0, 235-pound Shelton is the next probable candidate for the starting lineup. He played 11 games last season, when he had three tackles, one fumble recovery and one blocked punt.
Who are the key reserves?
Redshirt freshman Stevens, who’s 6-2 and 225 pounds, and freshman Christian Hood have the potential to be strong key reserves.
Stevens, the No. 90 outside linebacker in the country coming out of high school, according to 247Sports.com, tallied 245 total tackles, 26 sacks and one interception during his four years at Calvary Day School (Ga.). He guided the Cavaliers to a 10-2 record as a senior and 10-3 mark as a junior with both campaigns resulting in trips to the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class A Private state quarterfinals. After his junior year, Stevens received all-area, all-region, all-county and all-state accolades.
Hood, who’s 6-0 and 215 pounds, enrolled at Duke in January and attended three spring practices before athletics were put on hold because of the pandemic. At Hightower High in Missouri City, Texas, he had 210 career tackles, 17 career sacks, and three consecutive state playoff appearances.
Who might surprise us?
As fall camp continues, Duke players like Heyward and coaches keep mentioning 6-2, 210 pound freshman Dorian Mausi.
Ahead of the team’s first scrimmage, Cutcliffe said he’d seen good progress with some of the less-experienced players, and those players could surprise with their playmaking ability. Cutcliffe highlighted an interception Mausi had made.
In high school, Mausi registered 85 tackles his junior year and posted ten sacks and six forced fumbles as a senior. At University of Detroit Jesuit, he helped the team get to two state playoff appearances and was named to the 2019 Detroit Free Press All-State First Team.
“You’ve got a lot of young guys,” co-defensive coordinator Matt Guerrieri said. “Christian Hood, who has been a meteor, Dorian Mausi, who has flashed in this camp.”
What are the strengths of the group as a whole?
While it’s a young group, the sack game is still a crucial component and strength of the linebackers, led by Heyward. The redshirt sophomore had 10 tackles during the 2019 season finale against Miami, tying then-senior safety Dylan Singleton. Playmaking ability, as highlighted by Cutcliffe ahead of the team’s first scrimmage, is another strength of the group.
What are the weaknesses of the group as a whole?
The major weak spot for Duke this season will be the lack of depth and lack of experience among the linebackers. They have seen action in a combined 39 games over the course of three seasons, and it’s up to the leaders to guide the young players. Heyward has needed to step into a more vocal role this year because of the “new talent, fresh talent” while Shelton is moving from a two to a one.
“My role has changed significantly,” Shelton said. “Being a two last year and getting bumped up to the ones is just a tremendous difference. I put in more work in the film room, more work after practice. During practice, I’ve got to focus more. Being a one demands a lot, but I feel like I’m prepared for it.”
Duke at Notre Dame
When: Sept. 12, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
TV: NBC
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 12:30 PM.