Duke depth chart breakdown - defensive line: Blue Devils will lean on four veterans
Duke defensive line coach Ben Albert calls them the “rushmen.” And for Duke, they anchor one of the most dangerous groups on the field.
All part of the 2017 recruiting class, Chris Rumph II, Victor Dimukeje, Drew Jordan and Derrick Tangelo have continually contributed over their first three seasons. Only Rumph redshirted his first year.
Duke has two high-end pass rushers at defensive end. Rumph only started one game in 2019 but tallied 47 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hurries. Dimukeje, one of Duke’s more consistent players, started every game he’s played in his career — 38 total — and led the team this past season with 8.5 sacks.
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Tangelo tallied 23 tackles as well as 2.0 tackles for loss last season. Jordan, who has mostly played defensive end in his career, might bump over to tackle. He had 18 tackles and 1.0 sacks last season.
Those four veterans will bring leadership to a group that is very young and inexperienced otherwise.
With the season opener against Notre Dame less than two weeks away, the line is quickly gelling with the rest of the defense. Rumph said early on during fall camp that chemistry was evident with linebackers plugging the holes, allowing the secondary to cover and the others to rush.
“The sacks coming in and searches coming,” Rumph said, “that’s the byproduct of us working together.”
Who is expected to start?
Rumph, Dimukeje, Jordan and Tangelo are projected starters, although exactly how that will work is unclear. The first three are listed on the roster as defensive ends although Jordan might play some tackle.
Another option might be to have Rumph play some linebacker and switch the base defense from a nickel 4-2-5 to a 3-3-5. That move could be partly necessitated by senior linebacker Brandon Hill opting out of the season due to COVID-19. In that case, Dimukeje and Jordan would start at ends with Tangelo at tackle.
Who are the key reserves?
Freshmen Aeneas Peebles and DeWayne Carter will be crucial depth players due to attrition at defensive tackle.
Carter, a redshirt freshman, came to Duke rated as the No. 33 defensive tackle nationally according to Rivals.com and 247Sports.com. He played three games for the Blue Devils last season, recording a tackle against Alabama.
Peebles, a true freshman from Raleigh, was listed by Rivals.com as the No. 48 defensive tackle in the nation and No. 15 overall prospect in the state of North Carolina. During his final two seasons at Knightdale, he compiled 195 tackles, 27 sacks, 20 quarterback hurries and two blocked field goals.
Who might surprise us?
Junior Ben Frye’s career has been plagued with injuries, limiting him to just 14 career games. If the star high school wrestler can remain healthy he could be a solid complement to Tangelo on the interior, especially during the season opener against Notre Dame. Last season, Frye had a season-best three tackles against the No. 15 Fighting Irish.
What are the group’s strengths?
Albert runs a system that allows young players to get on the field quickly and make an impact. While the team faces a lack of depth and experience, this youth could be a strength in the upcoming season alongside the core four returners.
“We have some size and some strength,” head coach David Cutcliffe said ahead of the team’s first scrimmage. “We have some redshirt freshmen and freshmen that have certainly caught my eye. I’ll be honest with you, I’m really excited about our interior defensive linemen and the depth that I think we’re going to surprise people with.”
What are the group’s weaknesses?
One of the biggest weaknesses of the group is the potential of being overworked. There might be a temptation to lean too heavily on the core group of veterans. Last season, defensive players played a lot of snaps and sometimes became winded. That resulted in them being ranked No. 9 in the ACC for points allowed per game in at 29.2.
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Duke depth chart breakdown - defensive line: Blue Devils will lean on four veterans."