By Tom Shanahan
Duke coach David Cutcliffe shares many traits with his successful brethren that have kept him in the college game four decades, including resuscitating the Blue Devils’ long moribund program.
But despite such similarities he has demonstrated once again that depth chart paranoia isn’t one of his idiosyncrasies. Many coaches these days wait until fall camp. Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh has taken to not releasing one week to week during the regular season.
Duke’s 2018 lineup doesn’t have much mystery around it with an NFL prospect at quarterback, Daniel Jones, among 16 returning starters and 48 lettermen. But there was one change to note when the depth chart was updated on Thursday once spring drills wrapped up last month.
Skip down to special teams to “holder” and notice Johnathan Lloyd, who is better known as the Blue Devils’ returning starting wide receiver.
Holding for extra-point kicks and field goals sounds like an ordinary task – except, of course, for those game-winning attempts — but Lloyd’s athleticism adds possible deception.
“We’ve got to put in some trick plays,” Lloyd said with a mischievous grin following the April 14 Spring Showcase. “I’m ready for whatever happens.”
Lloyd was listed as a backup last year to replace Parker Boehme, who has graduated. He only held for one snap during the season, so Cutcliffe’s confidence in him to elevate him is significant considering expectations already placed on him for his primary role.
“Coach trusts me with my hands and to make the right decisions,” Lloyd said. “I’m doing whatever the team needs.”
Versatility is nothing new for Lloyd. In addition to playing as a dual-threat quarterback, he committed to Duke for football and baseball. He played for Duke’s baseball team in 2015 and 2016 before committing to football.
Lloyd, a 6-foot, 190-pounder, wasn’t a holder in high school while he played as a dual-threat quarterback at Southern Alamance, so “holder” was something Duke’s coaches observed in him. They’ve seen progress in him from year-to-year throughout his career, including this spring when Cutcliffe said he was one of the most impressive players on a roster that overall encouraged him.
He redshirted his first year on a campus in 2014 after suffering an ankle injury over the summer before fall camp opened. But he attracted attention the following 2015 spring drills, when he was one of three recipients of the Sonny Falcone Award for his commitment to strength training.
As a redshirt freshman in the fall of 2015, he played a backup role at cornerback. He was switched to offense and has responded with back-to-back seasons of 34 catches for 301 yards and three touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore in 2016 and 39 for 367 and one TD last season.
Respectable numbers, but Duke is expecting more from Lloyd and its passing game as a whole. In 2017, Jones was limited by nagging injuries and the receivers didn’t win enough of the 50-50 balls.
The challenge to play the ball more aggressively was evident in the Spring Showcase from the way Duke’s defensive backs and receivers physically playing each other without flags thrown by the officials hired to work the game.
“I think it was intentional not to throw the flags,” Lloyd said. “Some of the calls were pretty blatant either way; coach wanted to see people compete. We’d get those calls in the fall, but we have to show we can make those plays.”
Another dimension that can open up the passing game is the depth the Blue Devils have developed at tight end. There are four lettermen with redshirt seniors Daniel Helm and Davis Koppenhaver, sophomore Noah Gray and redshirt sophomore Mark Birmingham.
“It gives us so many different looks to give the defense,” Lloyd said. “They can’t focus on one scheme. We’ve got so many bodies we can rotate in and out. We can go with four wide receivers or two tight ends and two wide receivers. We’re so versatile.”
In addition to Lloyd, leading receiver T.J. Rahming (65 catches, 795 yards and two TDs) is back along with Chris Taylor (25-332-1) or Aaron Young (16-219-1) at the third wide receiver slot.
“I think overall we had a good spring,” Lloyd said. “We had a lot of reps. A lot of guys are making plays and developing in the right direction.”
That includes looking all the way down the depth chart to Lloyd’s role on special teams.
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