Latest: Duke Just confirmed the departure 3 top players

April 28, 2024 sport_zone27 Uncategorized 0

Duke football players have secured agreements with various NFL teams as undrafted free agents, while another has received an invitation to attend rookie minicamp. Jalon Calhoun will be joining the Detroit Lions, Ja’Mion Franklin has inked a deal with the Baltimore Ravens, and Al Blades Jr. is set to join the New York Jets. Meanwhile, punter Porter Wilson has earned an invite to the Green Bay Packers rookie minicamp.

Jalon Calhoun’s impressive career stats include 253 receptions for 3,026 yards and 17 touchdowns, along with eight rushing attempts for 14 yards and one touchdown. He’s also returned 26 punts for 258 yards and two kickoffs for 26 yards. Recognized as an All-ACC honoree in 2022 for his prowess as a wide receiver, return specialist, and all-purpose player, Calhoun accumulated a total of 3,324 career all-purpose yards. Noteworthy highlights include six games with over 100 receiving yards, 53 games with two or more receptions, and 28 games with five or more catches, with a career-best 11 receptions against Wake Forest in 2022.

During his tenure, Calhoun made significant contributions, accounting for 53 plays of 20-plus yards across various categories, including receiving, punt returns, kick returns, and even a pass completion. Over his final two seasons, the majority of his receptions resulted in first downs, with 67 out of 112 receptions generating crucial yardage to move the chains.

 

Southside's Jalon Calhoun talks about signing with Duke

 

Calhoun leaves Duke with numerous records, including leading in games with at least one reception, ranking second in several categories such as seasons with 50-plus receptions and seasons with 600-plus receiving yards, and tying for third in receptions. He’s also among the top players in categories like receiving yards, touchdown receptions, and all-purpose yards. Notably, Calhoun became only the fourth Duke player to surpass 3,000 career receiving yards and achieved the feat of consecutive seasons with 700-plus and 600-plus receiving yards, a milestone not seen since T.J. Rahming in 2016-2018.

Ja’Mion Franklin

Throughout his career spanning 50 games, Franklin, a two-time National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society selection, showcased his defensive prowess with 70 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries, six pass breakups, and two quarterback pressures. Notably, he served as a team captain in 2023 and received prestigious accolades such as selection to the AFCA Good Works Team, finalist for the Pop Warner College Football Award, and semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy in the same year.

Franklin consistently demonstrated his impact on the field, tallying two or more tackles in 20 games, including a standout performance with seven tackles against Wake Forest in 2023. His defensive contributions extended beyond tackles, as evidenced by crucial plays such as fumble recoveries against Pittsburgh in 2021 and Temple in 2022, along with a notable performance of two pass breakups against Virginia in 2022.

In recognition of his outstanding performance during the last season, Franklin earned the team’s Defensive Lineman of the Year Award. He started in all 13 games, amassing 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, and one pass breakup. His consistency was evident throughout the season, with notable performances including a season-high seven tackles against Wake Forest.

Al Blades Jr.

The 2023 All-ACC selection and Academic All-ACC honoree appeared in 61 career games, including 26 starts, for the University of Miami and Duke. He had 140 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, four interceptions, 24 pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, and one blocked punt in his career. Blades Jr. recorded 24 games with three or more tackles, including a career-high eight against Louisiana Tech in 2019 (Walk-On’s Independence Bowl) and Florida State in 2023.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native has four career interceptions (two in 2019 and 2020) and a career-high three pass breakups against UAB (2020), Pittsburgh (2020), and NC State (2023). He played in four bowl games (2018 New Era Pinstripe, 2019 Walk-On’s Independence, 2020 Cheez-It, and 2023 Birmingham) and totaled 2,895 career snaps.

Porter Wilson

During his remarkable four-year tenure with the Blue Devils, Wilson achieved notable recognition, including being named a 2023 All-America selection, a two-time All-ACC recipient, and a 2020 Freshman All-America pick. He also stood out as a two-time semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award. Over the course of 49 games, Wilson displayed his punting prowess, executing 214 punts for a total of 9,511 yards, averaging an impressive 44.44 yards per punt. His precision was evident with 79 punts landing inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, while only yielding 13 touchbacks. Wilson showcased his leg strength with 63 punts of 50-plus yards, including a career-long 70-yard punt against both Georgia Tech in 2020 and Clemson in 2023.

Notably, Wilson displayed consistency in high-pressure situations, punting a career-high nine times on two separate occasions against Virginia Tech in 2020 and North Carolina in 2021. He also surpassed the 300-punting yard mark in a single game on six occasions, reaching a career-high of 409 yards against Virginia Tech in 2020.

A testament to his dedication both on and off the field, Wilson received academic accolades as a four-time Academic All-ACC selection. He further solidified his legacy by becoming the seventh player in program history to exceed 9,000 career punting yards. Wilson graduated with the highest punting average in Duke’s history for a career and a season (46.65 in 2023). Additionally, he set a single-game record with an astonishing punting average of 57.30 yards against Florida State in 2023. Wilson also holds impressive rankings in career punting yards and punts within the Duke program, while securing a notable seventh place in ACC history for punting average.

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