Despite ending 2019 with a solid win over division foe Miami, things have taken a turn for the worse in Durham. Frustrations at Duke seem to be boiling over as an alarming number of players have announced that they will be transferring out of the program.
The Blue Devils have underwent a renaissance of sorts recently, but 2019 seemed to prove the contrary. While the program had an extremely young roster, with roughly 60 percent being underclassmen, the season seemed to be an utter failure. After a 4-2 start, the season took a nosedive, with Duke losing five games in a row. Much of the blame has fallen on offensive play calling, a responsibility of offensive coordinator Zac Roper. While there is validity to these claims, there is a problem that needs to be addressed in the Bull City: players entering the transfer portal.
Following the season, wide receiver Scott Bracey and kicker A.J. Reed both announced they would be leaving the program. The most recent of these announcements was wide receiver Aaron Young. While every program loses players, it is the experienced wide receivers departing that worries me. This is a program that was left with a young receiving corps after losing their top five receivers from 2018. I do believe that with young talents at the position such as Jalon Calhoun and Eli Pancol, the program will still be in good standing out wide. However, having experienced guys helps out younger players exponentially, both on and off the field.
While speaking with a friend of mine on the team (who will not be named for privacy reasons), he informed me that he also plans to transfer this offseason. He also told me that there could very well be more transfers on the way in Durham.
On a positive note, however, Duke recently landed Michigan graduate transfer safety J’Marick Woods, who will surely add to an ever-improving unit. With experience, this young Blue Devils team will improve. Losing key contributors is not going make things any easier.
Images via GoDuke, 247 Sports, and the Toledo Blade
