By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Dan Mahan left a mark on Williams’ football program and he’s anxious to see how that translates at Duke.
He signed to play with the Blue Devils when that recruiting period opened this month.
“It’s just a relief that it’s all done,” he said. “I don’t think it has set in yet that I’m leaving.”
Mahan, a two-year starting quarterback for Williams after playing other positions earlier in his career, will be a January enrollee at Duke. He helped the Bulldogs to a conference championship for the first time in 19 years. Williams finished with a 10-2 record.
“I had immense confidence in Dan,” Williams coach Patrick Stokes said. “It’s rare when it all comes together.”
Mahan threw for 32 touchdowns and 2,268 yards. He also was the team’s second-leading rusher (872 yards), scoring nine touchdowns on the ground.
“My teammates made the game I love more enjoyable,” he said.
Offensive coordinator Matt Riggsbee said the quarterback was the ideal player on and off the field. He said Mahan mastered the mental and physical aspects of playing the position in high school.
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“He’s coming in there (to Duke) ahead of the game, in my opinion,” Riggsbee said.
Mahan, who was rated as high as No. 9 nationally as a dual-threat quarterback in the class by recruiting services, was one of 27 players to sign with Duke in what has been tagged as the program’s highest-rated class in any year by recruiting analysts.
Mahan, the only quarterback in Duke’s recruiting class, has connected with the other recruits. He referred to that as natural instincts kicking in.
“As a quarterback, you’re supposed to be the leader of the class, especially on that side of the ball,” he said.
Mahan, also a standout catcher on the Williams baseball team, attended four of Duke’s six home football games this season. The Blue Devils went 9-3 in the regular season.
“We didn’t see a (Duke) loss,” he said.
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