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DURHAM, N.C. – Duke redshirt seniors Kelby Brown, a linebacker, and Jeremy Cash, a safety, were named to Phil Steele’s 2015 Preseason All-America Teams, the publication announced Monday. Additionally, eight Blue Devils, including first team selections Cash, redshirt senior center Matt Skura and redshirt junior kickoff returner DeVon Edwards, were named to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-ACC Teams.
Brown, who missed the 2014 season due to injury, returns for his sixth season with the Blue Devils and earned a spot on Steele’s All-America second team. An All-ACC honoree in 2013, Brown was named to the 2014 preseason Watch Lists for the Bednarik Award and Butkus Award before suffering the injury. Cash was placed on Steele’s All-America first team coming off a 2014 season in which he become Duke’s first All-American in consecutive years since Clarkston Hines in 1988-89. Cash was a 2014 Walter Camp Foundation, Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele second team selection and a 2013 USA Today second team honoree.
In addition to the All-America citation, Cash was a Preseason All-ACC first team pick along with Skura and Edwards. Skura has started 27 consecutive games for Duke and earned third team All-ACC honors in 2014 while helping the Blue Devil offensive unit became the first in school history to average 180-plus rushing yards and 210-plus passing yards per game. Skura is already a 2015 Rimington Trophy Watch List selection. Edwards received Sports Illustrated honorable mention All-America accolades in 2014 and was an All-ACC third team pick as a returner. He averaged 25.7 yards per kickoff return and scored on a 99-yard kickoff runback at Pittsburgh on November 1.
Brown was a Steele second team Preseason All-ACC selection along with Edwards at defensive back. Edwards finished 12th among FBS players in 2014 with 133 tackles, the second-highest total among defensive backs. He enters the year ranked 12th among active FBS players in forced fumbles per game (0.18) after leading Duke with five caused in 2014.
A pair of Duke specialists appear on Steele’s Preseason All-ACC third team in senior kicker Ross Martin and redshirt senior punter Will Monday. Joining the duo is redshirt senior offensive guard Lucas Patrick. Martin was a Sports Illustrated honorable mention All-America selection and an All-ACC third team pick in 2014. He became Duke’s career points leader during the 2014 season and enters his senior year with 310 points, fifth most active FBS kickers. Monday joined Martin and Edwards on the Sports Illustrated honorable mention All-America team last season. Monday was also an All-ACC third team choice in 2014, when he helped Duke allow just 33 punt return yards, or 2.54 yards a game and 2.06 yards per runback. The Blue Devils’ average of 2.06 yards allowed a return was the nation’s third best. Patrick is a returning member of an offensive line that surrendered 41.0 tackles for lost yardage in 2014, an average of 3.15 TFL per game. Both totals were the lowest in the nation.
The Blue Devils’ final Preseason All-ACC selection is redshirt junior offensive tackle Casey Blaser, who earned a spot on Steele’s fourth team. Blaser returns for his second season as a starter this fall. Last year, he was a member of the offensive line that led the ACC in fewest sacks allowed per passing attempt in at 36.23. The line allowed just 13.0 sacks last fall, tied for the 10th fewest allowed among FBS programs. Duke’s 1.00 sacks per game was the nation’s eighth-best mark.
The Blue Devils bring back six returning starters on offense and six on defense from last season’s squad, which qualified for a bowl for the third straight season. Duke opens the 2015 campaign at Tulane on Thursday, September 3.
Phil Steele Preseason Teams
Duke Selections
All-America First Team
SS: Jeremy Cash
All-America Second Team
LB: Kelby Brown
All-ACC First Team
C: Matt Skura
DB: Jeremy Cash
KR: DeVon Edwards
All-ACC Second Team
LB: Kelby Brown
DB: DeVon Edwards
All-ACC Third Team
OL: Lucas Patrick
K: Ross Martin
P: Will Monday
All-ACC Fourth Team
OL: Casey Blaser
Brown, who missed the 2014 season due to injury, returns for his sixth season with the Blue Devils and earned a spot on Steele’s All-America second team. An All-ACC honoree in 2013, Brown was named to the 2014 preseason Watch Lists for the Bednarik Award and Butkus Award before suffering the injury. Cash was placed on Steele’s All-America first team coming off a 2014 season in which he become Duke’s first All-American in consecutive years since Clarkston Hines in 1988-89. Cash was a 2014 Walter Camp Foundation, Football Writers Association of America and Phil Steele second team selection and a 2013 USA Today second team honoree.
In addition to the All-America citation, Cash was a Preseason All-ACC first team pick along with Skura and Edwards. Skura has started 27 consecutive games for Duke and earned third team All-ACC honors in 2014 while helping the Blue Devil offensive unit became the first in school history to average 180-plus rushing yards and 210-plus passing yards per game. Skura is already a 2015 Rimington Trophy Watch List selection. Edwards received Sports Illustrated honorable mention All-America accolades in 2014 and was an All-ACC third team pick as a returner. He averaged 25.7 yards per kickoff return and scored on a 99-yard kickoff runback at Pittsburgh on November 1.
Brown was a Steele second team Preseason All-ACC selection along with Edwards at defensive back. Edwards finished 12th among FBS players in 2014 with 133 tackles, the second-highest total among defensive backs. He enters the year ranked 12th among active FBS players in forced fumbles per game (0.18) after leading Duke with five caused in 2014.
A pair of Duke specialists appear on Steele’s Preseason All-ACC third team in senior kicker Ross Martin and redshirt senior punter Will Monday. Joining the duo is redshirt senior offensive guard Lucas Patrick. Martin was a Sports Illustrated honorable mention All-America selection and an All-ACC third team pick in 2014. He became Duke’s career points leader during the 2014 season and enters his senior year with 310 points, fifth most active FBS kickers. Monday joined Martin and Edwards on the Sports Illustrated honorable mention All-America team last season. Monday was also an All-ACC third team choice in 2014, when he helped Duke allow just 33 punt return yards, or 2.54 yards a game and 2.06 yards per runback. The Blue Devils’ average of 2.06 yards allowed a return was the nation’s third best. Patrick is a returning member of an offensive line that surrendered 41.0 tackles for lost yardage in 2014, an average of 3.15 TFL per game. Both totals were the lowest in the nation.
The Blue Devils’ final Preseason All-ACC selection is redshirt junior offensive tackle Casey Blaser, who earned a spot on Steele’s fourth team. Blaser returns for his second season as a starter this fall. Last year, he was a member of the offensive line that led the ACC in fewest sacks allowed per passing attempt in at 36.23. The line allowed just 13.0 sacks last fall, tied for the 10th fewest allowed among FBS programs. Duke’s 1.00 sacks per game was the nation’s eighth-best mark.
The Blue Devils bring back six returning starters on offense and six on defense from last season’s squad, which qualified for a bowl for the third straight season. Duke opens the 2015 campaign at Tulane on Thursday, September 3.
Phil Steele Preseason Teams
Duke Selections
All-America First Team
SS: Jeremy Cash
All-America Second Team
LB: Kelby Brown
All-ACC First Team
C: Matt Skura
DB: Jeremy Cash
KR: DeVon Edwards
All-ACC Second Team
LB: Kelby Brown
DB: DeVon Edwards
All-ACC Third Team
OL: Lucas Patrick
K: Ross Martin
P: Will Monday
All-ACC Fourth Team
OL: Casey Blaser
