David Cutcliffe on Duke's Depth: If 1B's Outplay 1A's, We'll Change the Alphabet

Coach Cut likes Duke's depth at tight end, offensive line

Duke coach David Cutcliffe likes the look of his tight ends this season.

“It may be the deepest position, right now, that we’ve got,” he said early in spring practice. “Jake Marwede is healthy.”

Cutcliffe pumped his fist over the redshirt junior, who has missed parts of the last two seasons recovering from ACL surgery.

“He looked good,” Cutcliffe said. “He’s running well, not having to wear a brace. Those two (with Noah Gray) are clearly are the (starters) but Mark Birmingham can do anything we ask him to do. He’s just right now sitting as a two, behind a 1A and 1B.”

There are also several young players who haven’t gotten the opportunity for playing time yet, including redshirt sophomore Zamari Ellis and redshirt freshman Matt Smith.

“I like Zamari,” Cutcliffe said. “I like Matt. Matt Smith had one of the better days. He made some big catches. He’s gotten bigger, faster, stronger. I felt good about what I saw at that position.”

Stanford graduate transfer Devery Hamilton wasn’t available for spring practice, but he’s penciled in at a tackle spot, leaving Cutcliffe with a pleasant problem, since he has two returning tackles who started last season as freshmen.

Jacob Monk, who played as a true freshman last year and was recovering from offseason surgery in spring, seems most likely to move inside.

“I told Jacob, ‘You’re so gifted, you can learn center, guard and tackle,’” Cutcliffe said. That gives us something. He’s completely non-contact. He’s having to snap the ball to quarterbacks all day. What a skill that is to learn. Again, there’s a fluidity to this depth chart. You always try to find a way to get your five best up front. I hope we get eight, nine or 10 best playing. That would be ideal.”

Depth up front is crucial, in Cutcliffe’s eyes.

“Coach (Bear) Bryant used to say, and I believe it, when we finish spring, only look at our twos. You start getting too carried away with your ones—how many teams you see that’s all they play? How good are our twos? Who are they? I don’t want twos. I want 1As and 1Bs. That might sound like nonsense to some people, but not to me. And if a 1B outperforms a 1A, then we’re going to change the alphabet. Hopefully, now, we’re deep enough to do that.”