The Most and Least Stable Positions on David Cutcliffe's Depth Charts

This is the second in a series of (two) deep dives on Duke's depth chart history under David Cutcliffe. Get caught up by reading the introductory analysis here.

Last season, Duke opened the season with a toss up at the running back position. Deon Jackson and Brittain Brown were listed as co-starters, separated by that depth chart staple—the “or”.

Jackson and Brown remained atop the depth chart for three games. After the Blue Devils’ bye, Duke made a change at the position, albeit a minor one. Mateo Durant had been getting snaps with Brown battling a shoulder injury, and he was added as a third-string running back when Duke traveled to Virginia Tech.

In October, Brown opted for surgery and dropped from the two deep. Jackson was the sole starter, with Durant as the number two, after starting the season off the dept chart entirely.

That level of turbulence is nothing new for Duke’s running back position. It’s a spot where wear and tear tend to produce a higher-than-average number of injuries, and, perhaps as a result of the likelihood of attrition, Duke usually starts the season with multiple starting-caliber backs vying for position.

From Juwan Thompson and Josh Sneak to Jela Duncan and Shaq Powell to Jackson and Brown, Duke usually has a pair of lead backs, with plenty of depth behind them.

All of that leads to an unstable depth chart. Since David Cutcliffe took over as Duke coach, running back has seen the most depth chart changes of any position on the field, with 38 moves over the 12 years. By comparison, the three wide receiver spots combined have produced just 47 depth chart changes.

Running back has also seen seven different players take over as starter mid-season, making it the spot least secure to incumbents of the 22 positions on offense and defense.

Kick returner, however, has seen even more change at the top, with 12 different players ascending to the starting spot during the season over Cutcliffe’s tenure. At 29 total changes, it’s the second least stable spot on the team, behind running back.

Next on the list of unstable spots is, surprisingly, left guard. That position has seen 25 depth chart changes, more than center, right guard and right tackle combined. It’s also seen five players ascend to starter during the season and 10 total changes to the starting job.

Call it the Dave Harding rule. The former All-ACC lineman and current Duke radio announcer started at several positions on the line, but he seemed to always start off at left guard, then move around when problems cropped up elsewhere. Cutcliffe seems to put his most versatile lineman at left guard, knowing he’s familiar with what the players to his immediate left and right need to do.

On the flip side, the left guard’s mirror position, right guard, has been one of the most stable positions on the roster. Duke has never changed starters at right guard during the season, and the spot has only seen five depth chart changes.

The only spots with less turmoil under Cutcliffe has been long snapper (no changes at all over 12 years) and holder (two changes, one to starter).