Duke football: Mike Elko names captains for upcoming season

Duke football head coach Mike Elko named his captains prior to the team Spring Game. 

The summer is inching closer in Durham and its nearly time for the second season of Mike Elko leading the Duke football program.

Elko named his captains head of the Spring Game last weekend as quarterback Riley Leonard, defensive end DeWayne Carter, defensive tackle Ja’Mion Franklin, and offensive linemanJacob Monk.

Monk was also named as a captain last season while Carter has now become the first three-time captain in Blue Devil history.

Duke is coming off a season in which many thought the program would be one of the worst in a power conference but Mike Elko led the Blue Devils to a 9-4 (5-3 ACC) record, one game shy of reaching the ACC Championship, and a victory in the Military Bowl against UCF.

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Leonard completed 63.9-percent of his passes in his first full season as the team’s starting quarterback while throwing for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to being named as an Honorable Mention All-ACC selection and the Most Valuable Player of the Military Bowl.

Jacob Monk was also an Honorable Mention All-ACC selection and has played 3,051 snaps during his 46 career games with the Blue Devils.

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Duke’s offensive line last season lead the way for 31 rushing touchdowns, a program record, and allowed the fewest sacks in the ACC.

DeWayne Carter, a Second Team All-ACC selection, posted 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and forced three fumbles while Ja’Mion Franklin totaled 26 tackles, three passes defensed, and three sacks.

Duke football Spring Game sees inspired effort

The White Team outlasted the Blue Team, 19-14, in the Duke Spring Game.

However, Riley Leonard threw two touchdowns on 154 yards for Team Blue but a Grayson Loftis 49-yard touchdown pass to Apollos Cook in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter was the difference in the game.

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Duke opens the regular season inside Wallace Wade Stadium on Monday, September 4 against the Clemson Tigers.

A kickoff time or network has not been announced.