David Cutcliffe on Running Back Injury, Quarterback Battle

Duke coach gave update after opening spring practice

Duke got hit with a serious injury on the first day of spring practice. Running back Jaylen Coleman ruptured his left Achilles tendon on Monday and underwent surgery on Tuesday. The team released a statement saying he would be “out indefinitely.”

Coleman played in nine games last season as a true freshman, rushing 15 times for 42 yards.

The injury came at a position where the Blue Devils didn’t have much depth.

"First day today. I'll tell you exactly what I told our team afterward – we had as much energy, effort and intensity as I've seen us have since we been at Duke,” coach David Cutcliffe said after the first practice. “That's always the best way to start football practice. Even with a tough circumstance early. We had a young back Jaylen Coleman go down with an Achilles that'll have to be repaired. The significance is we're right now with three backs for spring practice. I'll have to adjust that. I'm not ready to tell you what I'm going to do, but we have to move some things around because we can't get through a spring ball without one more, minimally, one more back. You never have enough of them.

Cutcliffe also updated the quarterback battle after one practice.

“Offensively, we're going to be a little different over a period of time,” he said. “We're just starting that process. But the big thing I liked today was that both of the more experienced scholarship quarterbacks Chris Katrenick and Gunnar Holmberg had good recall. Gunner hadn't played in a long time. Chris had a good day throwing the ball and running and managing the offense. A lot of teamwork, a lot of periods where it could've gone another way.”

Duke is also working in new assistants for offensive line and defensive backs.

"I thought we had a good start up front,” Cutcliffe said. “A new coach with Greg Frey, and they're learning new drills. But the energy there was fun to watch. Chris Hampton had his first day as a Blue Devil coaching on the field. I didn't get to see much of him because I've been busy on the other field. But watching the tape, I'm really pleased. You can tell he's a technician. The players have had a great response to both new coaches. The staff is very cohesive, which, without alignment staff alignment it's very difficult to have a great program.”