The next edition of our Duke Football Team Preview turns its attention to the secondary and specifically the cornerback position where Breon Borders and Bryon Fields return as starters. Since Duke runs a 4-2-5 scheme, meaning 4 down defensive lineman, 2 linebackers and 5 defensive backs are on the field at one time, cornerback is not as deep as the other positions on the team. Duke’s talented safeties, which we will cover in our next installment, take control of the secondary and the cornerbacks largely get overlooked.
Duke returns four corners and they all have some game experience. The best of them being the aforementioned Borders and Fields. Breon Borders, a 6’0, 175 pound, junior, played and started 13 games last year where he led the team in interceptions with three. He also totaled 39 tackles, 6 pass breakups and one fumble recovery. Borders is reliable in coverage and is a playmaker who has great ball skills. I would expect his numbers to stay around the same with maybe a few more added interceptions underneath his belt.
Byron Fields, a 5’11, 190 pound, redshirt sophomore, played in all 14 games last season where he had 70 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovered. Fields is the perfect compliment to Borders in that Fields is the better tackler of the two while Borders is the playmaker in terms of turnovers. Fields is the hard-hitter and run support corner while Borders is the guy who covers like a mad man. Both their skill sets go hand in hand.
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The other two corners that return with game experience are Alonzo Saxton II and Zach Muniz. Saxton II is a 5’11, 170 pound, sophomore who played in eight games a season ago before suffering a season ending shoulder injury against Pittsburgh. He was one of five true freshmen to gain experience during the 2014 campaign. It is expected that he recovers from his shoulder injury and contributes behind Borders and Fields.
Muniz is another 5’11, 170 pound, sophomore who played in 12 games where he totaled seven tackles with two pass breakups. The experience Saxton II and Muniz both gained last season as true freshmen was invaluable and both will be expected to develop their games further as backups. An injury to either Fields or Borders means these two will see more significant action.
The newcomers that hope to see action are redshirt freshman Johnathan Lloyd and Jeremy McDuffie, a true freshman. Llyod returns from his redshirt season hungry to crack into the rotation. He is 6’0, 175 pounds and a versatile playmaker. He has the size for the position and the seasoning he has undergone should pay dividends for him. There is just so much experience in front of him it might be hard to receive significant snaps. Despite that he has all the tools.
McDuffie is a 5’11, 168 pound, true freshman from Georgia. He also has good size for the position and with a redshirt season under his belt the same way Lloyd took one, he should become a real factor in the secondary next season.
ACC Rank: 6th
The cornerback groups in the ACC are almost all experienced and talented with production under their belts. Duke’s group is solid and slightly above-average compared to the rest of the teams in the ACC. Fields and Borders will return to man their positions in the secondary. With game experience behind them in Saxton II and Muniz, the cornerback position is in steady hands.