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Duke Football Signs 17 To Class
2/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. - Duke University head football coach David Cutcliffe and his staff announced on Wednesday that 17 student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to join the Blue Devil gridiron program.
2008 Duke Football Signee Bios
Signee Highlight Video
Name
Position
Jackson Anderson
Line
Kenny Anunike
Line
Paul Asack
Kicker
Lee Butler
Back
Jordon Byas
Back
Matt Daniels
Back
Tony Foster
Back
Curtis Hazelton
Line
Jay Hollingsworth
Back
Conor Irwin
Line
Randez James
Back
Patrick Kurunwune
Back
Trent Mackey
Back
Brian Moore
Line
Sean Renfree
QB
Donovan Varner
Back
Johnny Williams
Back
The class includes one quarterback, one kicker, five linemen and 10 backs. A total of 11 states are represented in the group as Duke signed a class-high three student-athletes from Florida and Texas and two each from Georgia and North Carolina.
Quarterback Sean Renfree, a PARADE All-America pick from Scottsdale, Ariz., headlines the class as the 10th-ranked signal-caller in the nation according to Scout.com. As a senior, Renfree led Notre Dame Prep to a 13-1 record and the state title and finished the year with 3,353 passing yards and 41 touchdowns.
Both signees from North Carolina represented the state in the 72nd annual Shrine Bowl. Jay Hollingsworth topped the 1,000-yard barrier on the ground in his final two seasons at Lee County High School while Tony Foster caught 68 passes for 1,091 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior at Burlington Williams.
Back Matt Daniels and lineman Curtis Hazelton both enjoyed prep success in the state of Georgia. Daniels helped Fayette County High School to 11 wins in 2007 and is ranked as the 26th-best safety in the nation by ESPN.com. Hazelton was a member of Roswell High School's state championship team as a junior and registered 82 tackles and five sacks a year later as the Hornets went 10-3 and finished the year ranked fifth in the state by the Associated Press.
Backs Trent Mackey and Johnny Williams signed with Duke out of Louisiana and Alabama, respectively. Mackey, who amassed over 350 tackles in his career, was a two-time all-state pick from Carencro High School while Williams helped Leroy High School to back-to-back state AA championships while totaling 1,694 receiving yards and 22 total touchdowns in his career.
From the state of Texas, backs Patrick Kurunwune and Randez James along with lineman Jackson Anderson join the program. Kurunwune was a three-time all-district pick and rushed for 2,491 career yards at L.C. Anderson High School in Austin while James, who enrolled at Duke last month after spending the fall semester at Hargrave Military (Va.) Academy, helped Judson High School in San Antonio to 33 wins over three seasons. Anderson, who prepped at Frisco High School in Frisco, was an all-county and all-district selection as a senior.
On the special teams front, kicker Paul Asack continues a family tradition with the Blue Devils. Ranked as a top-15 kicker in the country by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com, Asack will join his older brother, Zack, on the Duke roster. Their father, Phil, played football at Duke before graduating in 1971.
Lee Butler joins the Blue Devils from Westside (S.C.) High School where he accounted for 1,263 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior to lead the Rams to a 10-3 record. The 80th-rated cornerback in the nation by Scout.com, Butler helped South Carolina to a 31-24 win over North Carolina in the 72nd annual Shrine Bowl with four tackles and one forced fumble.
Three additional linemen ? Kenny Anunike, Conor Irwin and Brian Moore ? are included in the class. Anunike was an all-conference and all-district choice at tight end as a senior after catching 17 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns at Olentangy (Ohio) High School. Irwin helped Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic to 44 victories over four seasons while Moore, who prepped at Ransom Everglades (Fla.) High School, is rated as the 41st-top offensive guard in the country by Scout.com.
Jordon Byas and Donovan Varner ? two backs from the state of Florida ? inked with the Blue Devils. Byas, who had 79 tackles while rushing for 736 yards at Bay High School in 2007, is the reigning 400-meter AAA state champion in the Sunshine State. Out of Gulliver Prep in the Miami area, Varner is charted as the 21st-top athlete in the nation by ESPN.com.
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