Duke Football Team Preview: Defensive End

The next chapter in our Duke Football Team Preview shifts to the defensive side of the field. Instead of clumping together all the defensive linemen, the defensive ends and defensive tackles are going to be separated in to two different posts. Defensive end is a position that must replace a lot of experience as Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo, Dezmond Johnson, Jonathan Jones and Jamal Wallace depart.

There are only two players on the Blue Devils’ roster that return with experience at the defensive end position. They are Kyler Brown and Britton Grier. Deion Williams also returns to the team as he transitions from linebacker to defensive end.

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Kyler Brown is a 6’4, 245 pound, redshirt senior who played in all 13 games last season in a reserve role, totaling 24 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and 4 QB hurries. In his 36 career games as a Blue Devil, Brown has amassed 97 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 4 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles and 7 QB pressures. He is reliable and will be a solid player as he has been his entire time at Duke. Having said that, do not expect high sack totals from Brown as he has never been a guy who was thought as a pass rusher. He is more of a complete defensive end.

Britton Grier is a 6’1, 245 pound, redshirt senior who played in 12 games last year in a reserve role. He only totaled 6 tackles last year and in his 32 career games he has nine tackles. As you can see he has experience but has done virtually nothing with it. He has good athleticism but at this point someone who has played in 32 career games is what he is. He will most likely start because simply there are not many other options.

Deion Williams is a 6’0, 230 pound, senior who played in all 13 games last season registering 8 tackles. In 40 career games, he has totaled 29 tackles. After being a backup linebacker his entire career, Williams moves to defensive end where he provides depth and speed. Originally a fullback out of high school, Williams has found some success and consistency on defense where he will now be asked to help quell the losses from last year’s unit.

The other returning players are Allen Jackson and Michael Mann. Allen Jackson is a 6’5, 260 pound, redshirt junior who played in 3 games last season where he had 3 tackles. He shows good pursuit and is a longer rangy player. But he is already a redshirt junior and if he was going to contribute now is the time to do it.

Michael Mann is a 6’4, 235 pound, redshirt junior who played in 4 games last year where he totaled 4 tackles. Mann underwent shoulder surgery in January which caused him to miss a portion of spring practice. Mann is in a similar situation to Allen Jackson. It is time to put up or shut up. Production has to come from somewhere.

With the lack of depth at defensive end evident, Coach David Cutcliffe made it a prority to recruit the position hard as he got four prospects. The best of them is Trevon McSwain who stands at 6’6, 220 pounds. McSwain has great size and may be the only player from this group who will be asked to make any kind of contribution for this defense. The others are Zach Morris, Marquies Price and Twazanga Mugala. Price who is 6’5, 225 pounds, will also be asked to provide depth at a position that does not have much of it. The other two need time to redshirt and better hone their craft.

ACC Rank: 13th

This position should scare everyone. Not much experience as well as the talent being awfully thin. Maybe the weakest position on the team. Kyler Brown is the best out of the bunch and he will be heavily relied upon. Perhaps the freshmen can make some sort of impact but I would not count on it.

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