Duke football edge Chris Rumph awarded with more preseason honors
Duke football edge rusher Chris Rumph received more preseason honors ahead of the Blue Devils’ season opener.
Chris Rumph II might be the most underrated player in the ACC coming into the 2020 season.
After not being voted to the conference’s Preseason First Team list, Rumph is still racking up plenty of other preseason honors, including most recently being named to ESPN’s 2020 Preseason All-America Team and the Pro Football Focus College’s Preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
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ESPN also ranked Chris Rumph as the No. 2 returning edge defender in the country heading into the 2020 season, only behind conference foe Quincy Roche of the Miami Hurricanes.
However, PFF College ranked the Blue Devil defensive end as the No. 1 returning Power 5 edge defenders in terms of pass-rushing grades.
Rumph was also voted as a team captain for Duke this season alongside Michael Carter II, Deon Jackson, Noah Gray, and Jack Wohlabaugh.
The Gainesville, Florida native was also named as a Fourth Team Preseason All-American by Athlon Sports, alongside teammate Damond Philyaw-Johnson, while being selected to the Bednarik Award Watch List, which is presented to the best defensive player in college football.
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Following his sophomore season, in which he accumulated 47 tackles, thirteen and a half for a loss, six and a half sacks, and a forced fumble, Rumph was named First Team All-America by Pro Football Focus, Second Team All-America by Sports Illustrated, and Third Team All-ACC.
Combining with Victor Dimukeje, Duke will have one of the best, and least talked about, defensive lines, not only in the ACC but across the country.
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Chris Rumph and the rest of the Blue Devils will prepare for a tough test in Week 1 as Duke travels to South Bend, Indiana to face 2020 honorary ACC member Notre Dame on Saturday at 2:30pm EST on NBC.