Duke football has been a punchline almost since the Steve Spurrier days ended two decades ago, but if recruiting means anything at all, coach David Cutcliffe and his staff are changing that.
Time was, when the Blue Devils reeled in a three-star rated recruit, it was cause for celebration. This year, in an abrupt turnaround, it’s becoming expected.
Don’t get me wrong; the star rating system has its flaws, and individuals are always proving it wrong (see Wake Forest’s two-star linebacker recruit, Aaron Curry). But right now, it’s the only rating method we’ve got, and it’s right more often than it’s not.
So consider this—Duke now has eight commitments. According to Scout.com, one of those has four stars, and six of the remaining seven have three.
Last year, Duke signed 27 players. One had four stars and 10 had three.
And in 2008, the 17 signees included two four-star kids and five with three.
See a progression here?
The players who have committed this season that I’ve talked to have been impressed by staff, support, academics, everything. Cutcliffe is changing the culture around the program.
Expect it to pay off in victories soon.
--Stan Olson
If you know of a commitment, offer or visit, email me at solson@charlotteobserver.com.
Monday, June 29, 2009
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12 comments:
Good to hear,GO DEVILS !!!!!
Maybe all of this new recruiting success will translate into Wallace Wade getting actual restrooms, not just the port-a-jons on trailers that they currently have! What a dump of a stadium. I don't know who would want to call that place home during the season. They had to have taken these recruits to away games on their visits, so they could feel what real college football is supposed to feel like! Memorial Stadium is just as nice.
Not sure which will happen first. Duke win more than five games...or...Michael Jackson being buried.
Wallace Wade restrooms have been renovated. The stadium has been neglected for the past 40 years. Its finally in full renovation mode. As for the recruiting: the only non-three star recruit Duke has verballed to date is Lenoir standout Darius Lipford. Take a look at his film. If he's not 3-star minimum, the star rankings are meaningless. He might be the second best prospect of the bunch.
Wait. They play football at Dook?
And they learn how to spell there moron.
It's time Duke starts beating UNC. Duke has play so many close games with the Tar Holes over the years only to come up short late in the 4th quarter. I expect Duke to beat UNC in the next 2 seasons. Time to shut up some Tar Holes. We are...DUKE !
6:50 Anon....that would be "played". I am sure Duke is proud to have such grammatically intellectual fans.
But not quite as proud as UNC is to count douchebags like you, chief.
Fellas, let's work together.
There's room for improvement.
North Carolina: 1st in Flight,
47th in Education
Those who help make NC 47th in education do not attend Duke, no matter how great an athlete they are!
GO, DUKE!!!
All you Duke haters will soon have to answer to David Cutcliffe. I would like to see any of you present your weak smack talk to his face. Dumpy bathrooms? Very convincing argument. Duke is going nowhere but up.
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