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10:15 pm
March 9, 2016
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Devin Duvernay – 247Sports
In addition to rare speed, the Sachse product has another uncommon attribute.
Texas Longhorns freshman wide receiver Devin Duvernay has only participated in just more than a week of practice for the ‘Horns, but he’s already drawn the attention of sophomore wide receiver John Burt and Charlie Strong for his speed and cutting ability.
A track athlete who ran a 10.27 100 meters in high school and a verified 4.38 40-yard dash, Duvernay’s ability to cut at top speed may be just as impressive as his straight-line speed.
“The speed is there but he also has the ability to make quick cuts, which is something I found interesting,” Burt said. “He’s a super-fast guy who can stop on a dime and make cuts. I think we got good receiver with him.”
Strong agrees.
“When he runs by guys out there, he runs by them,” Strong said. “When you watch some of these track guys, a lot of them have trouble translating from the track to the football field, but Duvernay never slows down. Once he makes that cut — some guys have to sit down in their cut — he plants and he’s gone.”
Indeed, Duvernay got the crowd buzzing last weekend at the open practice when he caught a long touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Shane Buechele on a wheel route.
Devin Duvernay gets loose down the sideline, Shane Buechele finds him. #HookEm #Longhorns #Believe pic.twitter.com/fhJ4I8rr9h
— Jeff Howe (@JeffHowe247) August 7, 2016
On Saturday, Strong also recounted another moment when Duvernay got past a cornerback and the safety was trying to get over from the hash.
“Oh, that’s a touchdown,” Strong remembers thinking.
The safety just didn’t have the angle to catch the blazing Duvernay. Sure enough, Duvernay was gone.
Former Baylor head coach Art Briles called the nation’s No. 4 wide receiver the fastest player in the country when Duvernay attempted to sign with the Bears in February and the 5’11, 195-pounder holds the same title for the Longhorns, which can boast some decorated track athletes like Burt, who qualified for the national championships in the 110-meter hurdles, senior cornerback Sheroid Evans, and junior cornerback Antwuan Davis.
In watching Duvernay separate on the above quick, it’s apparent that he simply moves at a different speed than everything else on the field.
“It’s rare,” offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert said of his speed.
So don’t be surprised when Duvernay uses that elite speed and cutting ability to find open grass once his Texas career officially gets underway — that’s just what he does.
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