It was the type of change that was naturally seismic in nature for Jerry Schmitt’s program.
The 1978 Keystone Oaks graduate wrapped up his second decade at the helm of Duquesne’s football program last fall by leading the Dukes to the third NCAA Division I FCS playoff berth and second Northeast Conference championship in school history.
The reigning NEC Coach of the Year — now in his 20th season on the Bluff — said his players were changed by the type of success that resulted in their program’s first NCAA postseason berth since 2018 and first outright conference title since 2015.
“They got a taste,” Schmitt said, “and they’re hungry.”
With 14 starters returning from a team, which raced out to its first 5-0 start in NEC play since joining the conference in 2008, there is legitimate cause for optimism in regard to the Dukes’ ability to re-create their historic campaign of a year ago — and even build upon it.
“If we do what we need to every play, every day, nobody can stop us, really,” said senior quarterback Darius Perrantes. “The only people that can stop us are ourselves. We just have to be able to learn from things, move on, help each other out and stay together, and we should be a great team.”
Having an offense led by a quarterback named to the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award, which is given annually to the top FCS offensive player in the nation, is a great start.
Perrantes threw for 2,234 yards, 21 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 2023. His average of 17.74 yards per completion led all NCAA Division I quarterbacks in 2023, while his 193.7 yards per game average, along with his touchdown and yardage totals, were tops in the NEC.
“He’s a really talented young man,” Schmitt said. “Having him back, and his experience, is great to have. I think the receivers love that, too.”
Duquesne’s offense returns one of its top receivers in Teddy Afful, who caught 26 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns a year ago.
Despite losing his top targets in the passing game in DJ Powell to graduation and Keshawn Brown, who transferred to Massachusetts, Perrantes said he has plenty of faith in his offense.
Powell had a team-high 713 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2023, while Brown had 667 yards and seven scores.
“We have a lot of speed this year,” Perrantes said. “We’ve added some running backs, some receivers, some tight ends. We’ve definitely got a lot of weapons.”
Schmitt said his team’s strength could be its depth at tight end and along its offensive line.
Duquesne returns starting offensive linemen Gary Satterwhite III, Michael Fallah and Chris Oliver. The Dukes’ offense will feature graduate student Steven Mahar Jr. and senior Noah Canty, who will provide a veteran presence at tight end.
Running backs Taj Butts and JaMario Clements return to anchor Duquesne’s ground game. Butts rushed for 569 yards and three touchdowns a year ago, while Clements racked up 457 yards and three scores of his own.
“JaMario and Taj are two veterans, and, obviously, except for being injured a little bit a few games each last year, they carried the rock for us,” Schmitt said. “They’re both good protectors; they both catch the ball well. I’m really happy to have those two guys.”
Schmitt is also looking forward to the return of graduate student AJ Ackerman, who is expected to anchor Duquesne’s experience-laden group of defensive linemen and linebackers.
A 2019 Elizabeth Forward graduate, Ackerman had his streak of 29 consecutive starts snapped when he suffered a lower-body injury in the Dukes’ third game last season at Coastal Carolina and was lost for the season. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive lineman had two tackles and a sack a week earlier against West Virginia.
Ackerman has accumulated 56 tackles, 12½ for a loss, with 5½ sacks in his five seasons on the Bluff.
“We’re really hungry,” Ackerman said. “We had a lot of guys go down to injury last year. It’s nice to have everybody back and get after it, especially me.”
Graduate student Gianni Rizzo, a Norwin product, is the Dukes’ leading returning tackler. The inside linebacker led the team with 10 tackles for a loss, was second with 3½ sacks and third with 68 tackles.
Led by Rizzo, Ackerman and returning starting defensive lineman Jason Patterson — along with defensive backs Antonio Epps, CJ Barnes and Jaelen Carson — Duquesne’s defense could be a force in the NEC.
“We have a very, very, very veteran D-line group at the moment, a couple six-year guys in the linebacker room as well,” Ackerman said. “A lot of the leaders on this team are on the defensive side of the ball, which definitely leads to our strengths.”
And Duquesne will be tested early on before opening conference play.
The Dukes open their season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night with a game against Mid-American Conference foe Toledo on the road at Glass Bowl Stadium before traveling to Boston College and Youngstown State over the next three weeks.
Duquesne was knocked out of the FCS playoffs with a 40-7 loss to the Penguins in Youngstown late last November.
“We’ve got one game at a time,” Ackerman said. “I’m worried about Toledo, that is the first game. When it comes to Boston College, that’ll be the next one. The next game after that will be that.”
While Duquesne will be looking to build upon its success of a year ago, across Allegheny County, Robert Morris will be vying for a rebirth with a fresh start in the NEC.
The Colonials struggled to find success in the Big South Conference a year ago, stumbling to a 4-7 overall record. Robert Morris was picked to finish third in the conference in 2024 at NEC media day.
Redshirt junior quarterback Anthony Chiccitt, a Bethel Park graduate, returns under center for the Colonials this season. He threw for 1,651 yards, 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions a season ago, while accumulating 2,137 yards, 19 touchdowns and just eight picks during his three seasons at Robert Morris.
Chiccitt’s top target in the passing game is also returning in wide receiver Noah Robinson, who caught a team-high 70 passes for 846 yards and six touchdowns.
The Colonials are also expecting big things from running back Tyvon Edmonds Jr., who was named to the Walter Payton Award preseason watch list after transferring from Merrimack.
The 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior rushed for 2,072 yards and 19 touchdowns in three seasons at Merrimack.
Seton LaSalle product Jamar Shegog is a returning starter on the Robert Morris defense along with Tizlam Muhammad. The pair were named to the NEC’s all-preseason team.
Shegog was third on the Colonials’ defense a season ago with 51 tackles, five for a loss, with one sack and one interception.
Muhammad, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound defensive lineman, had 33 tackles, five for a loss, with one sack in 2023.
Robert Morris opens its season on the road Saturday against Utah State. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.
John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.