Duke will be forced to navigate its way through the rest of the year, however long that is, without one of its top players on the defensive side of the ball.
The football program announced Tuesday that Jeremy McDuffie suffered an injury to his right knee in this past Saturday’s win over Georgia Tech. The junior safety will undergo surgery next Monday to repair unspecified damaged ligaments and miss what’s left of the Blue Devils’ season.
At 5-6, Duke needs to beat Wake Forest this Saturday to become bowl-eligible. The Blue Devils missed out on a bowl game last season after going to four straight for the first time in the program’s history.
After playing in 24 games the previous two seasons, including two starts, McDuffie had started all 11 games in 2017. His three interceptions are tied for second on the Blue Devils, while his eight quarterback hits are tied for tops on the team.
Earlier this season, McDuffie was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back.