Duke Signs 17, Led by Arizona QB

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Duke Signs 17, Led by Arizona QB

Feb 7, 2008

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Durham, N.C. — Duke has signed 17 players to football letters of intent, new coach David Cutcliffe said on Wednesday.

Quarterback Sean Renfree, a Parade Magazine All-America from Scottsdale, Ariz., leads the class. He was ranked the No. 10 quarterback in the country by Scout.com and threw for 3,353 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior at Notre Dame Prep.

The Devils signed two players – running back Jay Hollingsworth of Lee County and receiver Tony Foster from Burlington Williams – from the state of North Carolina.

Here is the list of Duke football commitments, with information provided by the school:

Jackson Anderson
Line • 6-4, 240
Frisco, Texas • Frisco

Three-year letterman at Frisco under Vance Gibson ... First team all-district selection as a senior ... First team All-Collin County choice by High School Sports The Magazine ... Named to the All-DFW Metroplex third team in senior season ... Helped Frisco to consecutive state playoff berths in final two seasons ... Recorded 75 knockdown blocks at left tackle as a senior and received Frisco High School’s Bubba Storey Award for player of the year ... Also participates in track and field.

Kenny Anunike
Line • 6-5, 230
Galena, Ohio • Olentangy

Two-year letterman at Olentangy under Ed Terwilliger ... Listed as the No. 34 tight end in the country and No. 37 overall prospect from Ohio by Rivals.com ... Ranked as the No. 74 tight end nationally and the No. 65 overall prospect in Ohio by Scout.com ... Named to the all-conference and all-district first teams as a senior ... Received honorable mention all-state recognition following senior season ... Tallied 17 receptions for 216 yards and three touchdowns as a senior ... Also competes in track and field and basketball.

Paul Asack
Kicker • 6-2, 215
Westwood, Mass. • Xaverian Brothers

Three-year letterman at Xaverian Brothers under Charlie Stevenson ... Charted as the No. 15 kicker and No. 8 overall prospect in Massachusetts by Rivals.com ... Listed as the No. 14 kicker in the nation by Scout.com ... Ranked as the No. 11 kicker in the country by ESPN.com ... All-region selection by Superprep ... Named a Daily News Transcript All-Star as a senior ... Named team MVP following senior season ... Made 6-of-8 field goals as a senior and 6-of-10 field goals as a junior ... Played outside linebacker for three seasons with 107 tackles and two blocked kicks in his senior season ... Helped Xaverian Brothers to eight victories and a state runner-up finish as a sophomore ... Also competes in indoor and outdoor track and field ... Helped Xaverian Brothers to the outdoor track and field state championship in 2005 ... Father Phil is a 1971 Duke graduate who lettered for three seasons with the Duke football team and went on to play professionaly with the San Diego Chargers ... Brother, Zack, is a sophomore quarterback at Duke.

Lee Butler
Back • 5-10, 180
Anderson, S.C. • Westside

Played for Ted Luckadoo at Westside ... Charted as the No. 80 cornerback in the nation by Scout.com ... Recorded four tackles and one caused fumble to help South Carolina to a 31-24 victory over North Carolina in the 72nd annual Shrine Bowl on Dec. 15, 2007, in Spartanburg, S.C. ... All-Area selection by the Anderson Indepdendent-Mail ... Accounted for 1,263 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior as Westside went 10-3 and advanced to the second round of the South Carolina Class AAAA Division II playoffs.

Jordon Byas
Back • 6-1, 195
Lynn Haven, Fla. • Bay

Four-year letterman at Bay under Michael Healey ... Listed as the No. 137 safety in the nation by Scout.com ... As a senior, rushed for 736 yards and seven touchdowns while registering 79 tackles and two interceptions to earn district MVP, all-district and all-county accolades ... Missed the majority of his junior season due to injury ... Logged 85 tackles and three interceptions as a sophomore en route to garnering all-county and all-district honors ... Had 22 tackles and one interception as a freshman as Bay went 10-1 and advanced to the state playoffs ... Also participates in track and field ... Florida AAA state champion in the 400-meters (47.20) in 2007 ... Set county record in the 200-meters in 2006 (21.65) ... Member of Florida AAA state runner-up 4x400 relay team in 2007.

Matt Daniels
Back • 6-1, 195
Fayetteville, Ga. • Fayette County

Four-year letterman at Fayette County under Tommy Webb ... Listed as the No. 37 safety in the country and No. 37 overall prospect in Georgia by Rivals.com ... Charted as the No. 27 safety in the nation by ESPN.com ... Three-time all-region selection and two-time all-county choice ... Named Fayette County ’s Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year as both a junior and senior ... Set school single-game rushing record with 348 yards ... Compiled 104 tackles, four interceptions and two sacks along with 1,486 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior while leading Fayette County to an 11-1 record and state playoff berth ... Finished his career with 268 total tackles and seven interceptions with 2,790 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns on 384 carries ... Also participates in track and field ... Member of the school’s record-setting 4x100-meter relay team.

Tony Foster
Back • 6-1, 170
Burlington, N.C. • Williams

Two-year letterman at Williams under Sam Story ... Earned all-region honors from the Burlington Times-News ... As a senior, caught 68 passes for 1,091 yards and nine touchdowns en route to garnering all-conference recognition ... Caught one pass for 14 yards as a member of the North Carolina squad in the 72nd annual Shrine Bowl on Dec. 15, 2007, in Spartanburg, S.C. ... Helped Williams to a 14-2 record and berth in the state championship game as a sophomore and a 9-6 ledger and appearance in the state semifinals as a junior ... Also participates in basketball and track and field ... All-conference selection as a sprinter in track and field.

Curtis Hazelton
Line • 6-3, 260
Roswell, Ga. • Roswell

Three-year letterman at Roswell under Tim McFarlin ... Listed as the No. 108 defensive end in the nation by Scout.com ... Tabbed the No. 117 defensive end in the country by ESPN.com ... Posted 82 tackles and five sacks as a senior to help Roswell to a 10-3 record, a berth in the Georgia AAAAA quarterfinals and final state rankings of fifth by the Associated Press and sixth by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ... All-North Fulton County and team captain as a senior ... As a junior, helped Roswell to a 13-1-1 record and the Georgia AAAAA state co-championship ... Member of consecutive sub-region championship teams in 2006 and 2007 while helping Roswell to three straight state playoff berths ... Also participates in track and field.

Jay Hollingsworth
Back • 5-11, 185
Sanford, N.C. • Lee County

Three-year letterman at Lee County under Jody Stouffer ... Represented North Carolina in the 72nd annual Shrine Bowl on Dec. 15, 2007, in Spartanburg, S.C. ... Listed as the No. 28 overall prospect in North Carolina and No. 3 running back in the state by Rivals.com ... Charted as the No. 76 running back in the nation by ESPN.com ... Two-time all-conference selection ... As a senior, rushed 157 times for 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns and earned team offensive player of the year honors ... In junior season, rushed for 1,048 yards and 12 touchdowns on 123 attempts to earn team MVP honors ... Gained 492 yards and eight touchdowns on 104 rushing attempts as a sophomore as Lee County went 9-6 and captured district and sectional championships ... Finished career with 2,569 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns ... Also participates in basketball and track and field.

Conor Irwin
Line • 6-5, 250
Knoxville, Tenn. • Knoxville Catholic

Four-year letterman at Knoxville Catholic under Mark Pemberton ... Helped Knoxville Catholic to 10 or more wins in all four seasons with a 44-5 overall record including four consecutive state playoff appearances ... Won Knoxville Catholic’s Wendy’s High School Heisman Award ... Also plays basketball ... Father Tim played football at the University of Tennessee and in the NFL from 1981 to 1994 with the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins.

Randez James
Back • 5-11, 175
San Antonio, Texas • Judson & Hargrave Military (Va.) Academy

Enrolled at Duke in January 2008 ... Originally signed with Duke in February 2007 ... Played the 2007 season at Hargrave Military Academy ... Three-year letterman at Judson under Jim Rackley ... Recorded 30 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception as a senior ... Had 46 tackles and four pass breakups during junior season ... Helped Judson to a three-year record of 33-6 with a pair of state playoff berths ... Also participated in track and field, earning district and regional championships as a sprinter.

Patrick Kurunwune
Back • 5-10, 200
Austin, Texas • L.C. Anderson

Three-year letterman at L.C. Anderson under Mark Reiland ... Rated as the No. 148 running back in the country by Scout.com ... Listed as the No. 21 overall prospect in Central Texas by Texas Prep Insider ... Three-time all-district selection ... Served as team captain in senior season ... As a senior, logged 903 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 147 attempts ... Rushed for 920 yards and 15 touchdowns on 154 carries as a junior ... Finished career with 2,491 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns on 407 carries ... Also competes in wrestling, powerlifting and track and field.

Trent Mackey
Back • 5-10, 220
Carencro, La. • Carencro

Four-year letterman at Carencro under Cyril Crutchfield and Lance Guidry ... Listed as the No. 36 inside linebacker in the country and No. 34 overall prospect from Louisiana by Rivals.com ... Ranked as the No. 91 inside linebacker in the nation by ESPN.com ... Named the LSWA Class 5A Defensive Most Valuable Player as a senior ... Two-time LSWA Class 5A All-State selection in 2006 and 2007 ... Chosen as a 2007 PrepNation 101 All-American ... As a senior, recorded 103 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries ... Also rushed for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns as Carencro went 7-4 ... Posted 161 tackles, 12 sacks, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries as a junior ... Compiled 105 tackles and eight sacks as a sophomore ... Three-time all-district choice ... Helped Carencro to three consecutive state playoff berths ... Also competes in track and field, soccer and bowling.

Brian Moore
Line • 6-4, 280
Coral Gables, Fla. • Ransom Everglades

Four-year letterman at Ransom Everglades under Dave Hewett ... Listed as the No. 43 offensive guard and No. 96 overall prospect in the state of Florida by Rivals.com ... Ranked as the No. 41 offensive guard in the country by Scout.com ... Charted as the No. 45 offensive guard in the nation by ESPN.com ... Missed senior season while recovering from injury ... Second team all-state and first team all-county pick as a junior ... Earned Ransom Everglades’ Most Outstanding Player award following junior season ... Tallied 97 pancake blocks on offense and 11 sacks, three forced fumbles and three blocked kicks on defense during junior year ... Named second team all-county as a sophomore ... Recorded 37 pancake blocks on offense to go along with three sacks and one forced fumble on defense as a sophomore ... Also competed in basketball and track and field ... Set school records in both shot put and discus.

Sean Renfree
Quarterback • 6-3, 210
Scottsdale, Ariz. • Notre Dame Prep

Four-year letterman at Notre Dame Prep under Scott Bemis ... Selected to the 2008 PARADE All-America team ... Charted as the No. 10 quarterback in the country by Scout.com ... Rated as the No. 15 pro-style quarterback nationally and No. 9 overall prospect in the state of Arizona by Rivals.com ... Selected to compete at the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp ... Named Arizona’s Big School Class 5A and 4A Player of the Year and to the All-Arizona team as a senior by The Arizona Republic ... Chosen as a 2007 PrepNation 101 All-American ... Earned honorable mention all-state honors and was named Notre Dame Prep’s MVP as a junior ... As a senior, led Notre Dame Prep to a 13-1 record and the 2007 Arizona 4AII state championship ... Capped prep career by completing 23-of-33 passes for a state championship game record 411 yards and five touchdown passes against Cottonwood Mingus ... As a senior, completed 197-of-357 passes for 3,353 yards and 41 touchdowns with just six interceptions ... In junior campaign, threw for 2,483 yards and 25 touchdowns with five interceptions ... Passed for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Donovan Varner
Back • 5-9, 170
Miami, Fla. • Gulliver Prep

Played for Earl Sims at Gulliver Prep ... Listed as the No. 21 athlete in the country by ESPN.com ... Tabbed the No. 64 cornerback in the nation by Scout.com ... Charted as the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 3 cornerback in the Miami-Dade area by The Miami Herald ... As a junior, posted over 600 rushing yards and over 700 receiving yards while recording six interceptions to earn All-Dade County honors.

Johnny Williams
Back • 5-10, 190
St. Stephens, Ala. • Leroy

Three-year letterman at Leroy under Danny Powell ... Named first team all-state and all-county as a junior ... Received honorable mention all-county honors following sophomore season ... Led Leroy to back-to-back Alabama AA state championships (2006-07) and a combined 39-4 record in three seasons ... Caught 25 passes for 265 yards as a senior despite missing five games ... Posted 893 receiving yards, 312 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior ... Finished prep career with 1,694 receiving yards, 658 rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns ... Also plays basketball ... Named all-county on the hardwood.

Most Recent Comments

BlueDevilFan--You must not follow football recruiting much. UNC didn't have many scholarships to offer this year. Their limited spots were filled with highly-rated prospects though. If you doubt me, go to scout or rivals.com and check the average star rankings by team. UNC is up there with Clemson, Miami and FSU (and way ahead of Duke and State).

"You obviouly have not been following what the new coach is wanting to do. He knows he is not going to get the biggest players. He is building his new team with speed"

That is code for we are getting 1 AA talent and trying to compete at the BCS level. Not a flame but just facts. If you want to get players, you have to lower standards.

Plan on losing a lot with the small speed guys approach. You don't see Ohio State and LSU going small to get speed.

I will just say wait until you have to play on the field.

Lot's of coaches have gone to Duke with high expectations only to be out in a few years.

There is a reason Cutcliffe got fired from Ole Miss after only one losing season and many say he was not willing to do the work on the recruiting trail but I wonder. I do think it was interesting he got fired from there a year after winning the cotton bowl which is as good as Ole Miss has been in years. Something just does not add up with that whole deal no matter what was said publicly.

“If Duke lowered its admissions standards for footbal the way it does for basketball maybe they could get better recruting classes.”

True, but I’m glad Duke does not lower the standards. And I think our recruiting class, along with the all the red shirt freshman and returning players from last year, means Duke will be pretty good come August. Oh, and BTW the last two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks were coached by our head coach (thus us getting a #10 quarterback)!

“Bluedevilfan~ Now thats what I call class... The season hasn't even started and your already talking junk!”

No junk, just facts (except for how long Davis will be at unc, that is just my opinion). You guys pull that “class” card out often – funny!

“Bluedevil...are you suggesting that the Duke recruiting class and existing talent is comparable to that of UNC...? Surely you're not that ignorant...are you?”

Not arrogant. Did not suggest being comparable to unc. However, if you want to talk about last year, well Duke won a game as predicted. UNC went 4-8, lost to ECU and State, and had to take Duke to OT before barely pulling that game off. I would consider that a disappointing season (especially with a high-dollar coach).

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