Safety Jeremy Cash Decides to Return to Duke for His Senior Year After Considering NFL Draft
By Chris Brown
Redshirt junior safety Jeremy Cash recently announced that he has decided to return to Duke to play for his senior season with the Blue Devils. At the end of the season, Cash was considering departing school early to declare for the NFL draft. Cash held a press conference on Thursday with Duke Football head coach David Cutcliffe to reveal that he would be returning for the 2015 season.
“He could have gone and been a really good NFL player right now.”
Jeremy Cash has excelled for Duke since transferring to Duke from Ohio State in 2011 and sitting out the 2012 season due to NCAA rules. In both seasons he’s played with the Blue Devils, Cash has been named All-ACC (First Team-2013, Second Team-2014) and Second Team All-America (USA Today-2013, Walter Camp Foundation & Football Writers Association of America-2014).
As a team captain last season, he finished with 111 tackles with 10.5 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles and was the only safety in the country to finish with at least 100 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks with the Blue Devils. Cash has been one of the top defenders in Duke Football history, leading Coach Cutcliffe to say, “He could have gone and been a really good NFL player right now.”
Sep 21, 2013; Durham, NC, USA; Pitt Panthers running back James Conner (40) is tackled by Duke Blue Devils safety Jeremy Cash (16) during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
The decision wasn’t easy for Cash, who admitted that he was initially leaning towards leaving Duke early to enter the NFL draft since he’s completed his mandatory 2 years. At 6-2, 210 lbs, and a 4.59 40-yard dash time, Jeremy Cash will be a highly touted NFL prospect when he enters the draft. Cash was ranked by most NFL draft scouting outlets as a top 10 safety, reaching as high as the #2 strong safety prospect in the NCAA behind Alabama’s Landon Collins by several sources (NFL Draft Scout and CBS Sports). He was widely predicted to be drafted anywhere in the top 4 rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft.
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Despite this, Cash still believes that there are aspects of his game that he can improve on which led him to decide to return to Duke to play in his final season of eligibility. “I just feel there’s a lot of unfinished business that we have left here. I would like to continue that success and to build upon what we’ve done here so far,” said Cash, “I got good feedback [from the NFL]… [but] I think there are aspects of [leadership] that I can improve on, becoming more vocal and just becoming a prime-time player. To be the maximum—the best of my abilities both on and off the field.”
Cash’s decision to will strengthen a very talented Duke defense next year that returns several key players including all 5 starters in the secondary and will bring back All-ACC linebacker Kelby Brown who missed last season after tearing his ACL but was granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA. Last year’s defense was historic for Duke, finishing in the top 5 in the ACC in scoring defense, pass efficiency defense, opponent third down percetage, and fumbles recovered. Cash will look to help the Blue Devils improve next season as they compete for an ACC Championship and try to win a bowl game after appearing in postseason games three years in a row.