Duke has made it a habit to open spring practice well before spring actually begins, finding an early start beneficial for both coaches and players.
In previous years, Duke wanted to keep momentum going from bowl season. But this year, the reason is different. Players are eager to get back onto the field because the football break has been too long. Duke ended its season in November after failing to reach a bowl for the first time since 2011.
“We’re ready to go,” quarterback Daniel Jones said in a recent interview. “I’m really looking forward to getting back on the practice field and playing football again.”
That happens again Friday as Duke becomes the first team to open spring practice. The to-do list is a long one, but high atop the priorities is doing whatever it takes to make it back into the postseason.
What used to come around as often as snow in the deep south became the norm in recent years. In fact, Duke set a school record with four consecutive bowl trips between 2012-15. Jones and his teammates want to make sure last season was a small blip and not the start of something else.
“Everyone got pretty fed up with watching all these teams play in bowl games and us sitting at home,” Jones said. “I was texting back and forth with my friends here all talking about how bored we are and how much it (stinks) to be at home and not be playing. I think that will motivate us going forward. I know everything we do now in the winter and the spring lead up to the results in the fall, so I think we understand that, and going forward we’re determined not to let that happen again.”
The situation was radically different last spring for Jones, who split reps with Parker Boehme and Quentin Harris with starter Thomas Sirk sidelined because of a torn Achilles’ tendon. Even then, Sirk and coach David Cutcliffe talked openly about Sirk making a push to be ready for the season opener. By all accounts, he was still the starting quarterback.
But now, Jones is the starting quarterback, having taken the reigns after Sirk injured his Achilles again in August. Sirk was granted a sixth season and is rehabbing, hoping to have an opportunity to play again. But Cutcliffe has made it clear that Jones would have to be unseated.
So Jones goes into the spring as the starter, as he and the offense work to become more consistent in 2017.
One of the biggest areas Jones wants to improve on is explosive plays. Last season, Jones completed 32 percent of his passes that traveled 20 yards or more. Leading receiver T.J. Rahming averaged 10.6 yards per reception, the lowest average among all leading receivers on any ACC team. No Duke receiver averaged more than 14 yards a reception, the only school in the ACC with that distinction.
To be sure, Jones got the starting job just a week before the season began. Each week was a new learning environment. As a redshirt freshman, Jones showed the potential to be the best pure passer Cutcliffe has ever had a Duke, so with an entire season already behind him, Jones has set the expectations much higher.
“I definitely learned a lot,” Jones said. “It was a process. You just see things on the field and understand defenses a little bit quicker toward the end of the season. Hopefully, I can come into the spring and going forward into the fall with those things in mind and continue to improve.”
Sirk is not the only player out for spring. Starting offensive tackle Gabe Brandner (leg) and starting linebacker Ben Humphreys (shoulder) are also sidelined while they rehab their injuries. Cutcliffe knows what he has in all three, so their absence should create opportunities for younger players to get some reps.
The focus will not be on scheme as much as building depth and competition as Duke begins its rebound.
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