Duke Football: Top 3 breakout candidates for 2020
By Riley Platt
Duke entered 2019 with one of the ACC’s most potent backfields. While Deon Jackson returns as the unanimous frontrunner, the Blue Devils lost Brittain Brown to UCLA. The new Bruin always put on a show, but suffered significantly from injuries.
Brown’s exit opens the door for Mataeo Durant, who showed in 2019 just how much potential he has. The junior rushed for a total of 461 yards on 97 attempts this past season. While 4.8 yards per carry may not grab your attention too much, he is a dynamic runner and will be given more responsibility this year.
Senior Deon Jackson will still have starting running back duties, there’s no debate there. However, Durant will play a vital role in providing relief to Jackson and bringing balance to the running game.
With a productive Durant, Duke will once again have one of the best running back rooms in the conference. Not only is he fighting for playing time, but will likely take over the RB1 role next season seeing that he performs well this year.
The ability of Duke’s running backs to perform in 2020 will be absolutely vital. Having a productive backfield will open up opportunities through the air, enabling the Blue Devils’ talented upcoming wide receiver corps.