While Duke's linebacker corps will miss the power and experience of core components David Helton and Kelby Brown this fall, the unit won't be lacking in speed.  

Senior Dwayne Norman and sophomore Zavier Carmichael have been tabbed to take over the positions previously held by Helton and Brown, two players who were a major presence during their time in the front seven. Helton graduated ranked 10th in program history with 347 tackles and Brown, a returning All-ACC performer and team captain, went down with a career-ending knee injury over the summer after being granted a sixth year of eligibility.

Though Brown will remain with the team this fall to serve as a student coach, it will be up to Norman, Carmichael and a few other new faces to uphold the defensive standard the Blue Devils have come to expect.

Carmichael saw the field in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, accounting for 20 tackles and two interceptions. He turned in a season-high six tackles against Troy while making picks in road victories over Tulane and Georgia Tech. Although tasked with a tall order as Duke's new starting Mike linebacker, he says he has already benefitted from the support of teammates like Norman and defensive linemen Carlos Wray, A.J. Wolf and Kyler Brown, as well as the coaching staff.

The Eight Mile, Ala., native also knows he can count on Kelby for guidance as the season unfolds. Carmichael says that as a student coach, Brown has “picked up the role and run with it.” The sixth-year veteran has been sending film to his position teammates and holding one-on-one meetings with players.

“Everybody got their hopes up when Kelby got his sixth year,” Carmichael recalled. “(His injury) got our hearts kind of down. But he's a great person and Kelby's spirit is high … He's the same emotional leader we need to help us get riled up.”

Norman will join Carmichael in the position group after spending his first three seasons in Durham as a safety. His experience includes appearances in 36 games over the course of his career with 12 starts. A product of Jacksonville, Fla., Norman has compiled 126 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 quarterback sacks, two fumble recoveries, three pass breakups and two quarterback pressures. He also shares Duke's single-game record for fumble recoveries with two against Florida State in 2012.

“Dwayne has spent plenty of time not just as a linebacker but as a safety, as a rover in different places,” Carmichael says.

Both were originally recruited as safeties, an advantage Carmichael has already seen pay off as they have matched up against the Blue Devils' wide receivers in practice.  

“We're not as big as David Helton and Kelby Brown, but we're transitioning toward more of a quicker, agile linebacker, (which) is definitely helping us out,” he said. “Dwayne Norman, Chris Holmes and I, being more of safety-hybrid type of linebackers, we believe we bring something new to the field — a little more speed.”

Holmes, a redshirt sophomore who played in all 13 games with four starting assignments last fall, is charted as the top reserve at Will linebacker behind Norman. With 30 tackles to his name a year ago, he also figures to be an important part of the unit's success. Ben Humphreys, a true freshman who came to Duke ranked a consensus top-25 outside linebacker nationally, has shown potential as well in a short amount of time.  

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has a bevy of veteran players returning at defensive back, which should also aid the linebackers as they adapt to their new roles. “The Cheetahs,” as the safety group calls itself, helped Duke's defense rank 24th in the nation last season, allowing opponents just 21.8 points per game. Returning All-Americas Jeremy Cash and DeVon Edwards as well as junior Deondre Singleton will look to supplement the play of Carmichael and Norman with speed of their own.

Despite the depth and experience that will be lined up both in front of and behind the two linebackers, Carmichael says he feels pressure to measure up to the legacy left by Brown and Helton. That includes not only putting up high tackle numbers, but also getting stronger and learning to be more of a vocal leader.

“Last year he did very well as a freshman,” Norman said of his young teammate. “This year I see him growing, getting a little bigger, getting faster and getting stronger. He's definitely gotten a lot smarter, knowing the playbook ... If he has any questions he can come to me and if I have any questions I can go to him. That way we can just depend on each other.”

“There's still a lot for me to grasp,” Carmichael says. “The defense is built around linebackers. With us being so novice at this position, we (hear), 'Their defense is not what it used to be. It's kind of falling apart.' So it's really up to me and Dwayne to control the defense and keep everybody's hearts in the game.”