Three Duke defensive players to watch against Virginia Friday night

Despite 0-2 ACC record, Blue Devils are vastly improved from last season

Nov 30, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Preston Watson (95) tries to elude Wake Forest Demon Deacons offensive lineman Erik Russell (72) during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Nate Sheppard, a midseason All-America choice at running back, and the offense deservedly get much of the credit for Duke's 4-2 record at midseason. But the Blue Devils' defense has carried its share of the load as well.

Entering Friday night's game at Virginia, Duke ranks 19th in the nation and second in the ACC, allowing just 16 points per game. That's a huge improvement from last season, when the Blue Devils won the league championship despite allowing 29.4 points per contest, a number that ranked 14th in the conference.

Here are three Duke defensive players who should have Virginia's attention entering Friday night's showdown:

DT Preston Watson

Watson, a 6-foot-1, 300-pound junior, is coming off the best game of his three seasons in Durham. He registered a career-high eight tackles in last week's 24-20 loss to Duke. That included a sack and 2.5 total stops for loss.

He has 3.5 tackles for loss in six games this season after compiling just 4.0 in his first two years combined. He could make it difficult for the Cavaliers to run between the tackles, especially if Virginia has to reshuffle its offensive line due to nagging injuries to center Drake Metcalf. He also could clog up the lanes Beau Pribula uses for quarterback draws.

LB Nick Morris Jr.

Morris' story is similar to Virginia standout linebacker Kam Robinson's: great potential hampered by injuries.

Morris started Duke's 2024 opener before suffering a season-ending injury. Last year, he made it through four games before going down again.

Now in his sixth college season, Morris has managed to stay healthy through the first half of the season and shares the team lead with 33 tackles, including two for loss. He also has a fumble recovery to his credit.

CB Kyon Loud

Like Virginia, Duke hit the NCAA transfer portal hard in the offseason to upgrade a secondary that features four new starters. The most promising is Loud, a redshirt sophomore who spent the previous two seasons at Montana.

He has outstanding size (6-2, 190 pounds) for a cornerback and has recorded three pass breakups and a forced fumble through Duke's first six games. The Blue Devils also occasionally use him as a blitzer, as he has a quarterback hurry to his credit.

Surprisingly, Loud is still looking for his first college interception. Still, Pribula will need to be careful and accurate when the Cavaliers decide to pass.