Matt Daniels has heard that Duke's secondary is too young to strengthen the defense and that opposing quarterbacks will prey on its inexperience.
He is hoping that others are hearing the same.
"Offensive coordinators are going to try and see that as an advantage over us, but we don't see it that way," said Daniels, a sophomore safety. "We're going to allow them to go ahead and think that they can throw all over us, but that's not the case at all."
The secondary is starting to take shape in advance of Duke's Sept. 5 opener, against Richmond at home. Coach David Cutcliffe is pleased with the unit's progress but wants more improvement in many areas.
Barring changes or injuries, Duke will match seniors Leon Wright at cornerback and Catron Gainey at safety with sophomore Lee Butler at the other corner and Daniels at the other safety spot. Junior Chris Rwabukamba will be the fifth defensive back, and Cutcliffe will count on freshmen Walt Canty and Zach Greene for depth. Wright has started 18 games for Duke and Gainey 15, but Daniels and Butler will start for only the second time in the opener. Daniels and Butler also played in a combined 21 games as reserves last season.
"We have a lot of young talent," Cutcliffe said, "but right now there's not anybody that I would say is just sitting ready to step in and play games. We'll evaluate that closely over the next two to three weeks."
Cutcliffe said he considers Wright the key to the secondary, not only for his experience but also for his football smarts.
Wright was one of Duke's top defensive players last season, playing in six games and finishing with 12 tackles (nine of them solos), an interception, four pass break-ups and eight punt returns. He missed the other six games with a leg injury, including the last five -- all Duke losses.
"I think Leon Wright staying healthy is probably as critical as anything we have right now," Cutcliffe said. "He's the best player we've got in the secondary. I don't know if people realize how badly we missed him last year."
Daniels isn't afraid to try anything, and his hard hitting in a scrimmage Saturday forced a fumble, which he recovered.
Daniels said he wasn't ready to play last season after making the jump from high school, but he saw action in 10 games and finished with 22 tackles and an interception.
"I really worked hard over the summer to understand the defense and where the holes will be in the defense," he said. "I know where everyone's supposed to be.
"I'm really comfortable back there now."
Daniels also understands that Wright and Gainey are the voices of the secondary as seniors, but he is trying to assert himself to be prepared to take over in 2010. Daniels has already taken to showing Canty what needs to be done.
"We've got lots of things in our system," Cutcliffe said. "We've got everything that the New York Jets and the New Orleans Saints have, but because of our youth, we have to limit ourselves to some degree.
"The premium then falls on the fierceness of play. And that's one thing I will say about Matt Daniels. Matt Daniels leads in that category. He is a fierce competitor and a fierce player."
Cutcliffe will try to be patient and allow the young defensive backs time to grow comfortable. He knows they'll make mistakes in coverage, but there'll be a limit to what he will tolerate.
"It's because those mistakes end up costing you big," Cutcliffe said.
■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.
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