David M. Hale 9y

ACC team on the rise: Duke Blue Devils

At this point, pegging Duke as a program on the rise is simply repetitive. The growth of the Blue Devils' program under coach David Cutcliffe is well documented, from a 3-9 campaign in 2011 to three straight bowl appearances and one Coastal Division title in the years since. But as the 2015 season approaches, this still feels like something of a turning point at Duke -- a program not so much defined by its unprecedented run of success, but by an opportunity to take the next step from surprising upstart to consistent winner.

There's little doubt the architect of Duke's recent success is the man at the top, and Cutcliffe's blueprints for taking one of college football's worst programs and turning it into an ACC threat is nothing short of magical, but it is the players who carried out those plans, and many of the biggest contributors have now moved on from Durham.

David Helton, the man who led the ACC in tackles each of the past two years, is gone. Jamison Crowder, who racked up three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, is turning heads in the NFL. Anthony Boone, the winningest quarterback in Duke's history, has turned over the reigns of the offense to a QB with 14 career pass attempts. Laken Tomlinson, the anchor of Duke's offensive line for four years, was taken in the first round of the NFL draft.

After three straight seasons of growth, the question now is whether Duke can keep that momentum going with a new cast.

"They've been shown the way," Cutcliffe said of his emerging stars. "This may be the strongest leadership team that we've had, and I like the hunger they display. They're not looking like a team that's satisfied."

That's always been Cutcliffe's plan. This wasn't about getting to one bowl game or winning one division title. He's wanted to build a program -- a consistent winner that isn't defined by one group of stars but by an established tradition. Last season's leaders built the foundation, but this season, the new cast aims to build upon it.

Look no further than the recruiting rankings. In 2013, when this run began, Duke inked the 65th-best class in the nation, according to ESPN, and that was considered a step up. A year later, Cutcliffe signed the 51st-ranked class. Last year, 45th. So far for 2016, Duke has one of the best classesInsider in the ACC with six four-star prospects already committed -- just one fewer than it had during the entirety of Cutcliffe's prior tenure. The 2015 squad will include plenty of new faces in bigger roles, but it likely also will be the most talented Duke team of Cutcliffe's career, and 2016 promises to be even better.

Around campus, football is gaining ground at what had been as established basketball powerhouse. The facilities have been upgraded. The stadium is undergoing much-needed renovations. There's a legitimate buzz surrounding Blue Devils football, and it's not about any one player, but rather the birth of a program that will keep winning.

Nothing should overshadow the work Duke has already accomplished in erasing the decades of struggles on the football field, but as the Blue Devils get ready for 2015, there are big questions. Although unlike years past, Cutcliffe believes he has the answers. Jeremy Cash could follow Tomlinson as a second-straight first-round NFL pick. Thomas Sirk is as athletic as any QB Cutcliffe has coached. A trio of running backs gives Duke perhaps the most depth at that position in the ACC. Kelby Brown and Braxton Deaver return for their sixth years of eligibility, giving the Blue Devils a much-needed line to the past while filling key spots on this season's depth chart.

So much has been accomplished already at Duke, but the real mark of success is that Cutcliffe isn't talking about what's already done. There's an expectation for that success to continue -- not just with another postseason appearance, but with bowl victories and conference titles. The names on the roster will change, but Duke's expectations haven't. That's perhaps the most ringing endorsement of what Cutcliffe has brought to the program.

"It's somewhat like when we came in here and winning wasn't in anybody's vocabulary," Cutcliffe said of the new season. "I think it's going to be awesome when you have young, eager guys. It's going to be fun."

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