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Duke Football: Aaron Young displays big-play potential in win over Army

By Matt Giles

DURHAM, NC - AUGUST 31: Aaron Young #8 of the Duke Blue Devils makes a touchdown catch against Javhari Bourdeau #8 of the Army Black Knights during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 34-14. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - AUGUST 31: Aaron Young #8 of the Duke Blue Devils makes a touchdown catch against Javhari Bourdeau #8 of the Army Black Knights during their game at Wallace Wade Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 34-14. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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With four catches for 114 yards, junior receiver Aaron Young gave Duke football fans hope that this year’s squad has a deep threat who could spark the offense all season.

Last season, quarterback Daniel Jones struggled to complete passes with as much regularity as when he was a freshman for the Duke football program. His completion percentage dropped from 62.8 to 56.7.

Part of the problem for Jones, though, was his receivers’ tendency to let catchable balls slip through their fingers. But during the Blue Devils’ 34-14 season-opening win over Army on Friday night, one receiver made sure this season didn’t start off with those same tendencies.

Redshirt junior Aaron Young snagged four passes for 114 yards and one touchdown. His total yards and one trip to the end zone on Friday currently account for 25 percent of his total production in both categories during his entire time thus far as a Blue Devil.

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The biggest play of the night for the 6-foot-2, 205-pound native of Murietta, Calif., came midway through the second quarter and led to the Blue Devils stretching their lead to 17-0. Jones noticed Young breaking free down the field and hit him in stride for a 61-yard completion that ended just one yard shy of the end zone.

Last season, that ball might have been dropped. And if it had been dropped this time around, the game would have stayed closer than it should have.

Instead, Young’s catch marked the longest reception by Duke since former Blue Devil receiver Anthony Nash came down with a 64-yard touchdown at Notre Dame on Sept. 24, 2016.

And at the beginning of the fourth quarter, after the Black Knights had just pulled within 10 points, Young pulled in another perfectly thrown ball by Jones that resulted in a 25-yard touchdown and gave the Blue Devils the cushion they were looking for.

Prior to Friday’s game, Duke’s depth chart listed 12 starters on offense as a result of both Young and senior Chris Taylor sharing a co-starter role at one of the receiver positions.

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But by earning the trust of his quarterback by getting open frequently and coming down with catches that ought to be caught, Young earned the right to start in the future without that “co-starter” tag.

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