2008 Duke Blue Devils - Recruiting Class

Duke Blue Devils 2008 Head Coach: David Cutcliffe

Duke Blue Devils

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Sean Renfree QB 6-3, 210, Scottsdale, Ariz. Notre Dame Prep
Four-year letterman at Notre Dame Prep under Scott Bemis ... Selected to the 2008 PARADE All-America team ... Charted as the No. 10 quarterback in the country by Scout.com ... Selected to compete at the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp ... Named Arizona’s Big School Class 5A and 4A Player of the Year and to the All-Arizona team as a senior by The Arizona Republic  ... Chosen as a 2007 PrepNation 101 All-American  ... Earned honorable mention all-state honors and was named Notre Dame Prep’s MVP as a junior  ... As a senior, led Notre Dame Prep to a 13-1 record and the 2007 Arizona 4AII state championship  ... Capped prep career by completing 23-of-33 passes for a state championship game record 411 yards and five touchdown passes against Cottonwood Mingus  ... As a senior, completed 197-of-357 passes for 3,353 yards and 41 touchdowns with just six interceptions  ... In junior campaign, threw for 2,483 yards and 25 touchdowns with five interceptions  ... Passed for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Lee Butler DB 5-10, 180, Anderson, S.C. Westside
Played for Ted Luckadoo at Westside ... Charted as the No. 80 cornerback in the nation by Scout.com  ... Recorded four tackles and one caused fumble to help South Carolina to a 31-24 victory over North Carolina in the 72nd annual Shrine Bowl on December 15, 2007 in Spartanburg, S.C.  ... All-Area selection by the Anderson Indepdendent-Mail  ... Accounted for 1,263 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior as Westside went 10-3 and advanced to the second round of the South Carolina Class AAAA Division II playoffs.

Jay Hollingsworth RB 5-11, 185 Sanford, N.C., Lee County
Three-year letterman at Lee County under Jody Stouffer ... Represented North Carolina in the 72nd annual Shrine Bowl on December 15, 2007 in Spartanburg, S.C.  ... Two-time all-conference selection   ... As a senior, rushed 157 times for 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns and earned team offensive player of the year honors  ... In junior season, rushed for 1,048 yards and 12 touchdowns on 123 attempts to earn team MVP honors   ... Gained 492 yards and eight touchdowns on 104 rushing attempts as a sophomore as Lee County went 9-6 and captured district and sectional championships ... Finished career with 2,569 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns ... Also participates in basketball and track and field

Rest of the Class

Jackson Anderson	TE	6-4	230	Frisco, TX
Kenny Anunike	TE	6-5	230	Lewis Center, OH
Paul Asack	K	6-2	205	Westwood, MA
Lee Butler	ATH	5-10	168	Anderson, SC
Jordon Byas	ATH	6-2	185	Panama City, FL
Matt Daniels	DB	6-0	183	Fayetteville, GA
Tony Foster	WR	6-2	170	Burlington, NC
Curtis  Hazelton	DE	6-2	232	Roswell, GA
Jay Hollingsworth	RB	5-11	180	Lee County, NC
Conor Irwin	OL	6-5	245	Knoxville, TN
Randez James	DB	5-11	175	Chatham, VA
Patrick Kurunwune	RB	5-10	200	Austin, TX
Trent Mackey	LB	5-9	191	Carencro, LA
Brian Moore	OL	6-3	275	Coral Gables, FL
Sean Renfree	QB	6-3	201	Scottsdale, AZ
Donovan Varner	DB	5-8	160	Miami, FL
Johnny Williams	WR	5-11	195	Leroy, AL

- 2007 Duke Season
- 2007 Duke Preview
- 2006 Duke Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 0-12
2007 Record: 1-11

Sept. 1 Connecticut L 45-14
Sept. 8 at Virginia L 24-13
Sept. 15 at Nwestern W 20-14
Sept. 22 at Navy L 46-43
Sept. 29 at Miami L 24-14
Oct. 6 Wake Forest L 41-36
Oct. 13 Virginia Tech L 43-14
Oct. 27 at Florida State L 25-6
Nov. 3 Clemson L 47-10
Nov. 10 Georgia Tech L 41-24
Nov. 17 at Notre Dame L 28-7
Nov. 24 at No Carolina L 20-14 OT

2007 Recap

Recap: In Week 3, the Blue Devils snapped a 22-game losing streak at the expense of Northwestern, but that brief bout of jubilation wasn’t enough to propel them to another victory.  Or save head coach Ted Roof’s job.  Oh, Duke often came close, nearly upsetting Virginia, Navy, Miami, Wake Forest, and North Carolina, yet showed an uncanny knack for coming up short.  Changing that culture of losing, which has persisted for nearly a generation, now belongs to David Cutcliffe, who was hired away from Tennessee to lead the program.

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Thaddeus Lewis

Defensive Player of the Year: DT Vince Oghobaase

Biggest Surprise: The win at Northwestern on Sept. 15.  When you’re Duke, and you haven’t won a game in two full years, any victory qualifies as a shocker.  Fueled by a big second quarter and three Lewis touchdown passes, the Blue Devils never trailed, and, for a change, held on for the win when the Wildcats rallied in the fourth quarter.    

Biggest Disappointment: There were so many near misses throughout the year, but the Sept. 22 loss to Navy may have been the most painful.  On a day when the Lewis-to-Eron Riley connection was otherworldly, the Duke D couldn’t protect an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead, eventually losing in overtime, 46-43.  Had things ended differently, it was the kind of game that might have been a springboard to a third or fourth victory.

Looking Ahead: Obviously, Cutcliffe has his hands full turning this vessel around.  However, he does inherit a lot of returning regulars, and is no stranger to the sidelines or challenging jobs.  If nothing else, the returns of their top passer, rusher, and receiver means Duke should be fun on offense under Cutcliffe’s guidance.

Nov. 24
North Carolina 20 ... Duke 14 OT
North Carolina took advantage of a missed field goal in overtime with a 25-yard Greg Little touchdown run in the comeback win. The Tar Heels started out the scoring with a nine-yard pass play to Brandon Tate, but Duke's defense held until late in the fourth while the offense got Jomar Wright touchdown catches from 25 and four yards out. Little ran for a seven-yard touchdown midway through the fourth to tie it, but Duke had one last chance late to win it in regulation with a 40-yard field goal attempt that went wide left.
Player of the game: North Carolina RB Greg Little ran 26 times for 154 yards and two touchdowns, and caught two passes for 11 yards.
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 18-27, 219 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Clifford Harris, 6-44. Receiving: Jomar Wright, 8-91, 2 TD
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 11-24, 75 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Greg Little, 26-154, 2 TD. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 6-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... When you finish a season 1-11, it's mostly because you have major problems, but it's also because you don't know how to win games. Duke dominated North Carolina with a great defensive effort, an efficient offensive day, holding on to the ball for 36:23, but the three missed field goals and missed opportunities allowed the Tar Heels to pull it off. On the plus side, this is still a young team with decent building blocks to work around for next year.

Nov. 17
Notre Dame 28 ... Duke 7
Notre Dame finally had an easy win with Jimmy Clausen throwing three touchdown passes with 25-yard plays to David Grimes and Duval Kamara in the second quarter and on a nine-yard pass to John Carlson in the fourth. Robert Hughes ran for 110 yards with 13-yard dash in the third quarter. Duke finally got on the board with a six-yard run from Zach Asack with 1:12 left to play. The Irish held on to the ball for 35:35.
Player of the game: Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen completed 16 of 32 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 16-33, 121 yds
Rushing: Justin Boyle, 8-45. Receiving: Jomar Wright, 5-11
Notre Dame - Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 16-32, 194 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Robert Hughes, 17-110, 1 TD. Receiving: George West, 4-24
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... There's struggling, and then there's getting blasted by Notre Dame. Duke has been the only team in America that couldn't slow down the Irish running game, while the offense failed to get anything going. Converting just four of 16 third down conversion chances, and allowing ND to keep things moving by converting ten of 18 changes, basically never allowed the Blue Devils to have a shot. Now it's on to North Carolina needing to pull off an upset to stop an eight game losing streak. To win, the running game has to finally get going to take the heat off the passing attack.

Nov. 10
Georgia Tech 41 ... Duke 24
Tashard Choice ran for 170 yards with touchdown runs from one and 16 yards out, and Taylor Bennett ran for a one-yard score and connected with Correy Earls for a 38-yard touchdown as Georgia Tech got by Duke. The Blue Devils stayed alive on a 64-yard Eron Riley touchdown catch, an 11-yard Requan Boyette run, and a 24-yard Leon Wright fumble recovery for a score, but the Yellow Jacket defense, and the running of Choice, helped put the game away. Tech outgained Duke 477 yards to 146.
Player of the game: Georgia Tech RB Tashard Choice ran 24 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Georgia Tech - Passing: Taylor Bennett, 11-23, 218 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tashard Choice, 24-170, 2 TD. Receiving: Correy Earls, 5-86, 1 TD
Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 12-29, 122 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Re'quan Boyette, 13-51, 1 TD. Receiving: Eron Riley, 3-74, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Duke's offense simply isn't getting enough consistency. Against Georgia Tech, Thaddeus Lewis was able to connect on a 64-yard touchdown pass, but only threw for 122 yards on the day. There were almost no sustained drives and little production from the running game. The problem was an offensive line that allowed eight sacks that killed drive after drive. To beat North Carolina, the offense finally has to start controlling things more and not relying on the defense to set things up..

Nov. 3
Clemson 47 ... Duke 10
Duke scored first on a seven-yard Eron Riley catch, and then it was all Clemson. The Tigers scored 40 straight points, highlighted by a 84-yard kickoff return for a score from C.J. Spiller, and a 70-yard James Davis scoring dash, to go along with two Aaron Kelly touchdown grabs. The Tiger defense held the Blue Devils to just 28 yards rushing and 198 total yards of offense. Duke committed 12 penalties, Clemson four.
Player of the game: Clemson QB Cullen Harper completed 17 of 26 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for a score.
Stat Leaders: Clemson - Passing: Cullen Harper, 17-26, 184 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Davis, 8-118, 1 TD. Receiving: Aaron Kelly, 6-57, 2 TD
Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 15-26, 160 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Re'quan Boyette, 11-32. Receiving: Clifford Harris, 5-40
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Duke passing game wasn't awful against Clemson; there simply weren't any big plays after the first scoring drive. The running game continues to be non-existent with no help whatsoever from the running backs. At this point, it's all on the defense to force turnovers and opportunities, and QB Thaddeus Lewis has be spotless. Clemson's defense might be great, but only 198 yards of total offense, after going on a 63-yard scoring drive early, is unacceptable at this point in the year.

Oct. 27
Florida State 25 ... Duke 6
Preston Parker caught a nine-yard touchdown pass and scored on a 14-yard end around in the third quarter, and Gary Cismesia hit four field goals, as Florida State dominated Duke. The Blue Devils gained nine yards rushing and only got nine first downs, with the only score coming on a three-yard Brandon King catch midway through the fourth. Florida State held on to the ball for 39:38 and outgained the Blue Devils 534 yards to 222.
Player of the game: Florida State QB Drew Weatherford completed 35 of 47 passes for 339 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 16-30, 198 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Thaddeus Lewis, 8-18. Receiving: Jomar Wright, 7-141
Florida State - Passing: Drew Weatherford, 35-47, 339 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Antone Smith, 23-146. Receiving: Richard Goodman, 11-73
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Duke had two weeks off and came up with this?! The offense is getting worse instead of better, and while playing Florida State isn't a walk in the park, at this point in the year there has to be more in the way of consistency in some area. The running game wasn't even a possibility, and when Thaddeus Lewis failed to generate anything through the air, it was over. It didn't help that the defense never got FSU off the field. Things might not get much better against Clemson next week.

Oct. 13
Virginia Tech 43 ... Duke 14
Virginia Tech's much-maligned offense cranked out 441 yards getting help from an unlikely source, as Sean Glennon stepped in for an injured Tyrod Taylor  and threw for 268 yards with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Royal in the second quarter and a 40-yarder to Josh Morgan at the end of the third. Kenny Lewis and Branden Ore each added short scoring runs, and Jud Dunleavy hit three field goals on the way to a 43-7 lead after three quarters. Duke's scores came on a one-yard Thaddeus Lewis run and a 19-yard pass to Brandon King.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech QB Sean Glennon completed 16 of 21 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 13-24, 119 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Re'quan Boyette, 8-42. Receiving: Eron Riley, 3-37
Virginia Tech - Passing: Sean Glennon, 16-21, 258 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Branden Ore, 17-37, 1 TD. Receiving: Eddie Royal, 6-90, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Duke needed a perfect game to beat Virginia Tech, and didn't get it. On the plus side, the D line had a great game, holding up well against the run and doing a good job of getting to the quarterback, but the defense couldn't get a stop. The offense didn't come up with any running game, either, and with Eron Riley and the receiving corps failing to come up with the big play, the Blue Devils were sunk. Now there's two weeks off before dealing with Florida State.

Oct. 6
Wake Forest 41 ... Duke 36
Wake Forest appeared to be on its way to an easy win, getting up 34-9 midway through the third quarter on a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown from Alphonso Smith, but in a game of rallies, Duke cranked out 20 straight points, pulling within five on a  31-yard Jomar Wright touchdown catch. Kenneth Moore ripped off a 53-yard scoring dash with just over two minutes to play to appear to seal the win for the Demon Deacons. Duke started out with a 9-0 lead on a safety and a 68-yard Eron Riley touchdown catch, but Wake responded with 34 straight points before the Blue Devils made it interesting again.
Player of the game: Wake Forest RB Kenneth Moore rushed four times for 84 yards and a pair of scores, while catching 11 passes for 100 yards. 
Stat Leaders: Wake Forest - Passing: Riley Skinner, 22-30, 221 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Kenneth Moore, 4-84, 2 TDs. Receiving: Kenneth Moore, 11-100
Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 21-47, 291 yds, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing: Re’quan Boyette, 8-77. Receiving: Eron Riley, 8-143, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Thaddeus Lewis is turning into a productive passer who can bomb his way back into games, and Eron Riley is in the hunt for the honor of being the ACC's most dangerous receiver, but the offense has to do more early on. It's been great at comebacks, and didn't quit against Wake Forest, but the team has to be as strong in the first half as it is in the second to have any shot against Wake Forest, Clemson and Georgia Tech over the next few weeks.

Sept. 29
Miami 24 ... Duke 14
Miami struggled to put Duke away, but got nine sacks from the defense, and a 33-yard Dajleon Farr fourth quarter touchdown catch, to escape. The Blue Devils came up with two long scoring drives, with Ronnie Drummer taking a pass 41 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Eron Riley catching a 31-yard touchdown pass in the fourth, but the Canes were ahead throughout, starting off with a five-yard Kayne Farquharson touchdown catch. Graig Cooper added a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game: Miami QB Kyle Wright completed 19 of 23 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 18-27, 241 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Re'quan Boyette, 14-71. Receiving: Ronnie Drummer, 4-53, 1 TD
Miami - Passing: Kyle Wright, 19-23, 230 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Graig Cooper, 12-101, 1 TD. Receiving: Darnell Jenkins, 3-72
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Blue Devil offensive line didn't have a chance against the Miami defensive line, but the mobility of Thaddeus Lewis allowed for the offense to keep things moving a little bit. The defense did a tremendous job of preventing the Canes from hitting on the big play, but couldn't stop Kyle Wright from connecting on his short to midrange throws. In all, it was a decent game for the Blue Devils, taking a hot team late into the fourth quarter.

Sept. 22
Navy 46 ... Duke 43
Joey Bullen nailed a 44-yard field goal with no time left on the clock to complete a Navy comeback. After Eron Riley's fourth touchdown catch of the game, coming on a 69-yard play late in the third quarter, the Midshipmen owned the fourth quarter with a 25-yard Bullen field goal and a five-yard Jarod Bryant touchdown catch. In a wild first quarter, Riley caught a 76-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, answered by Navy with a 44-yard O.J. Washington touchdown catch, answered by a 35-yard Riley touchdown on the next play from scrimmage. The two teams combined for 1,046 yards of total offense with Navy running for 304 and Duke passing for 428.
Player of the game: Duke WR Eron Riley caught six passes for 235 yards and four touchdown receptions.
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 23-36, 428 yds, 4 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Re’quan Boyette, 7-42, 1 TD. Receiving: Jomar Wright, 7-89
Navy - Passing: Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, 11-16, 217 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Eric Kettani, 14-71, 2 TDs. Receiving: Zerbin Singleton, 3-48
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Duke can't afford to give away games, and it had Navy beaten. The offense didn't come up with the drives in the fourth quarter to stop the Navy momentum, and for all the good coming from the passing game, led by a brilliant day from Eron Riley, there wasn't enough on the ground to pound things out. Duke won't get the quick strikes it got this week against most ACC teams and will have to come up with some sort of balance. It'll be hard, but the offense has to make a commitment to the run for extended stretches.

Sept. 15
Duke 20 ... Northwestern 14
Duke broke its 22-game losing streak as Thaddeus Lewis threw three touchdown passes, with a 56-yard pass play to Ronnie Drummer to take the lead for good, but it wasn't easy. Northwestern rallied back with a one-yard C.J. Bacher touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, and had plenty of chances at the end after a 35-yard Bacher run got the Cats down to the Duke seven. The Blue Devils held on as a pressured Bacher had to hurry his fourth down pass into the end zone. Northwestern outgained Duke 506 yards to 309.
Player of the game: Duke QB Thaddeus Lewis completed 19 of 23 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns and ran eight times for ten yards
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 19-23, 246 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Tielor Robinson, 4-21. Receiving: Jomar Wright, 7-63, 1 TD
Northwestern - Passing: C.J. Bacher, 30-50, 368 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Brandon Roberson, 21-80, 1 TD. Receiving: Ross Lane, 9-128
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Duke got outplayed and outgained by Northwestern, but who cares? A win is a win is a win. When push came to shove at the very end, the defense generated the pressure it needed to get into the backfield, and the secondary did a nice job of not giving C.J. Bacher anything to look at on the final few plays. QB Thaddeus Lewis was tremendous, with a mistake-free game that kept the offense moving just enough to keep the chains moving, especially early on. Defensively, LB Vincent Rey had a whale of a game in all phases with 11 tackles, four broken up passes and two tackles for loss.

Sept. 8
Virginia 24 ... Duke 13
Virginia might have had major problems with snaps on special teams, including one that sailed through the end zone for a Duke safety, but Tom Santi and Cedric Peerman helped overcome the problems. Peerman tore off a 58-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and Santi made a seven-yard scoring grab from Jameel Sewell in the first quarter, and a four-yard grab from Peter Lalich in the fourth. Duke got all its offensive points in the third quarter on a 16-yard Jomar Wright catch and a 21-yard field goal, but the attack sputtered in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game: Virginia RB Cedric Peerman ran for 137 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and had one reception for a yard.
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 14-30, 137 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tielor Robinson, 9-31. Receiving: Erron Riley, 4-25
Virginia - Passing: Peter Lalich, 13-18, 131 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 19-137, 1 TD. Receiving: Tom Santi, 6-54, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... At the moment, everything has to go perfectly for Duke to come up with a win. The other team has to be mediocre, make errors, and not explode. Virginia helped out with a variety of different mistakes and inefficient offense, but the Blue Devils had a hard time taking advantage of all the opportunities. Joe Surgan missed three field goals, Thaddeus Lewis didn't complete half his passes, and there was no ground game against an average Virginia run defense. Three more road games in a row aren't going to help matters.

Sept. 1
Connecticut 45 ... Duke 14
Duke started off the scoring with a Brandon King six-yard touchdown run to cap off a six-play, 80-yard drive, and held a 14-11 halftime lead as Jabari Marshall returned a kickoff 94 yards for a score following a 27-yard Tony Ciaravino field goal. And then the roof caved in as the Huskies scored 37 unanswered points as Tyler Lorenzen threw two touchdown passes including a 57-yarder to D.J. Hernandez, and Donald Brown tore off a 25-yard touchdown run. Darius Butler capped off a nightmare of a second half for Duke with a 36-yard interception return for a score.
Player of the game: Kentucky QB Tyler Lorenzen completed 22 of 30 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and ran 19 times for 56 yards
Stat Leaders: Connecticut - Passing: Tyler Lorenzen, 22-30, 298 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Donald Brown, 19-99, 1 TD. Receiving: Terence Jeffers, 8-92
Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 14-28, 148 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Justin Boyle, 6-31. Receiving: Jomar Wright, 4-31
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Where was the running game? Duke was outgained 189 yards to 15, and while the passing game had to work most of the second half after getting down, the offensive line didn't do nearly enough early on to open any holes. Making things worse was a bad game by QB Thaddeus Lewis, who didn't do much to get the offense moving when the momentum had turned. On the plus side, LB Vincent Rey had a whale of a game with 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks.