Tag: 2024 Duke Football Season

Duke football coach Manny Diaz says Maalik Murphy is his quarterback with no rotation

Despite a lengthy quarterback competition in the offseason, Duke football coach Manny Diaz said the team doesn’t plan to rotate under center.

It took quite a while for the Blue Devils to decide on their starting quarterback for 2024. In fact, Texas transfer Maalik Murphy wasn’t given the starting job until last week despite committing in December.

Murphy and returning sophomore Grayson Loftis shared time with the first team during the spring scrimmage, and it would be natural to question if Loftis earned some time with the starters during game action. During his first Monday press conference of the year, head coach Manny Diaz dismissed that notion.

“We want to have a QB1 and wanted that the whole way,” Diaz said. “Itโ€™s important that we have a quarterback and that Maalik is our quarterback.”

The team doesn’t seem torn on the decision, either. Murphy was named one of Duke’s four captains for the season.

“I thought that was a great endorsement,” Diaz continued. “I think it means that he has the guysโ€™ respect.”

Murphy gets his first chance to be a team’s starting quarterback against Elon on Friday.

What in the world is the VYPER position on the Duke football depth chart?

Duke football released its 2024 depth chart on Monday, and defensive end Wesley Williams was listed as the starting VYPER. So what’s that?

Duke football released its first depth chart of the 2024 season on Monday, just days before Friday’s season opener against Elon, and most of it came as no surprise to Blue Devils fans. Quarterback Maalik Murphy had already been declared the starter, and stars like Jordan Moore, Chandler Rivers, and Jaylen Stinson were assured starters the entire offseason.

However, on the defensive line, veteran Wesley Williams was listed as the starting VYPER. Which, naturally, raised a question: what is a VYPER?

The distinction, first-year head coach Manny Diaz explained at his Monday press conference, isn’t especially interesting.

“The VYPER position is basically what people would call their rush end,” Diaz said. “An end that often lines up to the boundary, can drop, can rush, and do those types of things.”

So why isn’t Williams just called a defensive end? Well, because it sounds cool.

“Itโ€™s way more fancy when we call it the VYPER, right?” Diaz said. “It sounds cooler so put that on the bottom of your business card.”

As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Williams racked up 39 total tackles, 6.5 of which resulted in a loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Duke wide receiver Jordan Moore finishes eighth in ACC Preseason Player of the Year voting

The ACC released its preseason all-conference football team on Thursday, and Duke wideout Jordan Moore earned some Player of the Year votes.

The ACC released its preseason all-conference football teamย on Thursday, and while no Blue Devils made the roster, one Duke football star found his way onto the release.

The conference asked the 170 media members voting on the preseason polls to name their ACC Player of the Year, and Duke receiver [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] finished eighth with three votes.

Moore, a former quarterback prospect who made the switch to wideout before the 2022 season, led the team in all three major receiving categories last year. He scored three touchdowns against North Carolina and picked up at least 80 yards in six games.

He finished the 2023 season with 62 receptions, 835 yards, and eight touchdowns.

Miami quarterback Cameron Ward earned ACC Preseason Player of the Year honors after he finished with 71 votes. UNC running back Omarion Hampton finished second with 38 first-place votes, the only other player with more than 15.

Duke kicker Todd Pelino named to Lou Groza Award Watch List ahead of 2024 season

After making 26 of his 32 field-goal attempts over the last two years, Blue Devils kicker Todd Pelino made the Lou Groza Award watch list.

The 2024 Lou Groza Award watch list came out on Friday, and Duke kicker Todd Pelino finished as one of 30 names to keep an eye on.

The award recognizes the best placekicker in college football every season, and given Pelino’s resume over the last two years, it’s easy to see why he was selected. The junior has made 26 of his 32 field-goal attempts throughout his career, including 18 of his 23 tries last season. He’s also split the uprights on all 61 of his career extra-point attempts, and he’s made two field goals of 50 yards or longer.

Pelino made three field goals in two different games last season, managing that feat against Pittsburgh and in the Birmingham Bowl against Troy.

Six other ACC kickers made the watch list as well, including North Carolina‘s Noah Burnette, Florida State‘s Ryan Fitzgerald, Miami’s Andres Borregales, Georgia Tech’s Aidan Birr, Virginia’s Will Bettridge, and Virginia Tech’s John Love.

Pelino and the Blue Devils get their season underway on August 30 against Elon.

Duke football releases video of Maalik Murphy and Jordan Moore connecting on deep ball

The arrival of August means Duke plays football this month, and the Blue Devils passing attack seems to be in midseason form based on this highlight.

The 2024 Duke football season gets underway later this month, and the new-look Blue Devils passing attack looks sharp on social media.

The team released a clip of [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag], the transfer quarterback from Texas, hitting star wide receiver Jordan Moore deep downfield for a diving completion on Friday.

The duo hasn’t played together in an official game yet, but they showed off their chemistry during this spring’s Blue & White Game. Murphy found Moore for the game’s only touchdown, another deep shot that saw Moore outwrestle star defensive back Chandler Rivers for the ball.

Moore led the Blue Devils in receptions, yards, and touchdowns last season, and his excellence earned him a spot on the Maxwell Award Watch List. He looks primed for Duke’s first 1,000-yard receiving season since Jamison Crowder in 2014.

Murphy hasn’t officially earned the role of starting quarterback yet, as he and returning sophomore Grayson Loftis both made the trip to ACC Football Kickoff under the assumption that either could win the role. Manny Diaz, the first-year Duke football coach, said the team believes it can win with either quarterback under center.

The Blue Devils get their 2024 season underway against Elon on August 30.

Duke football announces all-inclusive ‘Devils Deck’ experience at Wallace Wade Stadium

The Duke Blue Devils announced the ‘Devils Deck’ on Monday, a new all-inclusive section of Wallace Wade Stadium available to fans.

Duke football announced one of its most ambitious and comprehensive additions to Wallace Wade Stadium on Monday with the Devils Deck.

The elevated deck behind the north end zone will include grass standing and seating areas, yard games, a live DJ, and unlimited tailgate food and non-alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages will be available to purchase.

More than 1,500 Duke football fans can experience The Devils Deck during a Blue Devils game, and they will get the chance to see it just next month for the start of the 2024 season.

“We wanted to take our gameday experience to a new level,” first-year Duke football coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] said in a release from the team. “With the addition of the Devils Deck, fans get access to an exclusive fun tailgating atmosphere, while still being inside the stadium to watch the game.”

According to that same release, Devils Deck passes can be added to regular tickets for $55 on game day, but fans can save $10 by buying the pass a day in advance.

The Devils Deck will be ready for Blue Devils fans on August 30 for the season opener against Elon.

Duke safety Jaylen Stinson says he ‘left a lot on the table’ during 2023 season

Despite 88 total tackles, Duke safety Jaylen Stinson said he “left a lot on the table” in 2023, a mistake he and Manny Diaz hope to correct this year.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Duke safety Jaylen Stinson left the 2023 season satisfied with his play.

The veteran Blue Devils defensive back finished with 88 total tackles, the second-most on the roster, and he broke up six passes and picked off another. All of that adds up to, in theory, an exceptionally satisfying season for the senior.

Instead, during a media session at the ACC Football Kickoff on Wednesday, he lamented some missed opportunities.

“Just looking at my film from last year, I left a lot on the table,” Stinson said.

Stinson said Manny Diaz, the new coach hired this winter, told him the same thing, and that honesty about his tape made him more motivated for 2024.

“He watched film on me, he knew that I left a lot on the table. I was honest with myself to know I left a lot on the table,” Stinson said. “And he’s going to help me perfect my game and just do the little things to make that happen.”

Stinson clearly values Diaz’s input. He mentioned just minutes before that the new Blue Devils coach played a big role in Stinson’s decision not to transfer, including a personal phone call during his first day in Durham.

Duke football coach Manny Diaz tabs David Feeley, stability as keys to program culture

Manny Diaz said on Wednesday that the key to his transition has been keeping as many Blue Devils in place as possible, including one key staff name.

New Duke football coach Manny Diaz knows the Blue Devils don’t need a ton of work. After all, he’s walking into a locker room with 17 wins over the last two seasons.

During ACC Football Kickoff on Wednesday, Diaz stopped by ACC Network and talked about how he wanted to keep as many key people within the program as possible.

“The best thing we have at Duke is our people,” Diaz said. “And to keep the nucleus of the team last year together, which we were able to do for the most part.”

He also praised one specific Duke staff member: Director of Football Sports Performance David Feeley.

“The whole key has been keeping David Feeley,” Diaz continued. “If you ask all of our players, they believe that he is the key to the success the last couple years.”

Diaz already worked with Feeley in Miami. While Diaz coached the Hurricanes from 2019-21, Feeley worked as the director of strength and conditioning for football.

Overall, Diaz felt like a lot of the groundwork for a good football program already exists in Durham. Why try to fix what isn’t broken?

“You hear coaches talk all the time, ‘We have to establish a culture in year one,’ it was already established,” Diaz said. “Because your culture is what you do for each other.”

Duke safety Jaylen Stinson explains how new coach Manny Diaz persuaded him to return

Duke safety Jaylen Stinson entered the transfer portal in November but withdrew in January. He explained on Wednesday how Manny Diaz swayed his choice.

Jaylen Stinson nearly played his final game in a Duke uniform already.

Last November, with the Blue Devils locker room reeling after former head coach Mike Elko left to take the Texas A&M job, the safety announced that he would enter the transfer portal. Six weeks later, however, he withdrew his name and decided he would return to Durham for one last season.

During Duke’s press conference at the ACC Football Kickoff on Wednesday, Stinson explained how new coach Manny Diaz lured him back into the program.

“When Manny got to come to the front and just talk us and tell us his plan and what he had planned for this team, it just built confidence,” Stinson said. “We knew he wanted to do the right thing with us and we could trust him as a coach, and I knew he would take this program in the right direction.”

Stinson also said Diaz called him up personally on his very first day in Durham, something that meant a lot to the veteran defensive back.

Stinson finished with 88 total tackles last season, the second-most on the team, and he intercepted one pass and broke up six others.

Maalik Murphy, Grayson Loftis talk about friendship during Duke quarterback competition

Just because Grayson Loftis and Maalik Murphy are still competing for Duke’s starting quarterback job doesn’t mean the two harbor any resentment.

Having two quarterbacks is a luxurious problem in college football, but the noise that comes with it can create problems for anyone. Whether Texas transfer [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] or the returning Grayson Loftis starts the season in the pocket, there will inevitably be arguments among the stands in Wallace Wade Stadium, at least early on, that the other should be on the field instead.

Just don’t expect either of them to hold it against each other.

Murphy and Loftis both sat down with ACC Network during Wednesday’s ACC Kickoff and talked about their relationship as they compete for the QB1 spot in Durham. According to them, it’s been civil and friendly from the day Murphy arrived on campus.

“Coming in, the first thing he (Murphy) said was like ‘We’re here to push each other and get better and just be a big family’,” Loftis said. “If you miss a throw, he might throw a jab, but if you make a great throw, he’s going to be your biggest fan.”

Murphy said Loftis motivates him to improve on the field and in the weight room, and the duo enjoys training together despite the lingering question.

“Whenever our rack partner switches up, I get sad,” Murphy said. “Because I want Grayson as my rack partner…He pushes me and gets the most out of me, and that’s all I can ask for as another quarterback in the room.”