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Tarboro lineman commits to Duke for 2010 class
Cofield says he likes direction of program
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Published: June 16, 2009
Takoby Cofield will stick to his first thought about his college choice after he finishes at Tarboro High School and will play for Duke.
Cofield, a 6-6, 290-pound offensive tackle, committed firmly to Duke on Sunday after attending a football camp at Wallace Wade Stadium. He had committed earlier in the spring but told Coach David Cutcliffe that he still wanted to look at other schools, notably Wake Forest and Virginia, before making a final decision.
"The opportunity to play at Duke was too much for me to pass up," Cofield said. "I can't even explain how I excited I was after making the decision."
Cofield will be a senior at Tarboro in the next academic year. He can sign the binding national letter of intent in February 2010 when the NCAA's football signing period will begin.
He is Duke's seventh commitment and continues a strong effort by Cutcliffe of recruiting in North Carolina. Five of the commitments are from in-state high-school players.
Cofield said that he sees a strong program building at Duke under Cutcliffe that will eventually challenge for an ACC title.
"I've been talking to the guys they already have committed and we all feel the same way," Cofield said. "The '09 class was great but we're going to try and pull in as many big names as we can with this class and we're going to turn this ship around."
Cofield will be a three-year varsity starter for Coach Jeff Craddock as a senior. He helped Tarboro, the NCHSAA Class 2-A state runner-up, finish 14-2 as a junior. He played offensive tackle and saw spot action at defensive tackle.
He was an all-area choice and all-conference selection as a junior as an offensive tackle. He made five tackles and had two sacks on defense. He said that his time in the 40-yard dash averages 5.2 seconds, but that he has run 5.0.
Tarboro is expected to play Cofield at offensive guard as a senior, but he will likely start his college career at tackle. Matt Luke, Duke's offensive coordinator, told Cofield that he is projected as a key blocker on future lines.
"I played at guard in camp Saturday and I think I did fairly well," Cofield said. "There are some things I need to work on. Coach Luke said that with my frame and my athletic ability, I can be a really great offensive tackle."
Cofield was a longtime North Carolina fan, starting at an early age. Kelvin Bryant, a former UNC tailback from Tarboro, attends his church. He also knows Shaun Draughn, a running back at UNC from Tarboro who will be a junior next season.
UNC had not offered him a scholarship. Cofield was at a UNC football camp as a sophomore but said that Sam Pittman, the UNC offensive line coach, was unable to watch him then after becoming ill and that recruiting had progressed only slightly since then.
"Me and Carolina talked and I told them I feel like my situation at Duke was going to be a lot better than it was at Carolina," Cofield said. "I just like how Duke handled me and how everything is going there.
"I was talking to my dad and some of my coaches and I told them I don't know what I'm going to do during basketball season. I guess I'll sit in my room and watch the game on TV. I might be kind of scared to walk outside. If Carolina scores I'll have to hold back from jumping up."
■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.
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