Charlotte, NC – Headed into the 2021 college football season, the Duke University Blue Devils do not want a repeat of last season, where they finished with a 2-9 record. While they are looking to rebound and play better after such a difficult season, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe is not throwing out the season.
“Thought there were so many different factors,” said Cutcliffe in response to their struggles last season. “But in the end, I learned so many more things in my 45th year in coaching.” He added that he learned how important planning and preparing in the offseason is to have success during the season.
“I’m not going to blow that off. We learned a great deal.”
Like many coaches so far this offseason, Cutcliffe is a bit concerned about the new NIL laws that have been put in place and the effect it can potentially have.
“What you can’t do with NIL is get so carried away with it that you erode your image,” said Cutcliffe with a grim look on his face. “It can be a dangerous thing. It also should not be a part of a recruiting climate.” He added that he winced when he heard a state legislator say that they needed to pass the NIL law as soon as possible because of recruiting.
“This (NIL) should not be used in recruiting,” said Cutcliffe. “My job as a coach is to help players and parents to understand. It’s not a good selection of a school, if that’s what you’re looking for.” He also cautioned that there is a big responsibility in learning how to manage it.
“A lot of people are going have to learn how to manage it. Not just players but families, coaches and media. There’s a lot of responsibility to our game here.”
While Cutcliffe was a bit grim and concerned when it came to the NIL laws, he was positive and optimistic when it came to Duke this season.
“We’ve got a lot of young talent. We’ve got a lot of depth… across the board, we’ve got depth and competition and my experience, competition is always good in football.”
Among that talent, but a veteran with not a lot of playing time is presumed starting quarterback Gunnar Holmberg. Holmberg suffered injuries that limited his playing time in previous seasons, but he stated going through those things made him step back and learn things about himself and football.
“I think it goes a long way, dealing with adversity in your life,” said Holmberg. He added that with regards to football, he’s learned to not stress to much over it and have fun. “Just enjoy it, embrace it, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity so just enjoy it.”
Duke opens the 2021 season against the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium on September 3rd at 6PM EST.
