As a longtime defensive coordinator and second-time head coach, Manny Diaz has overseen the development of plenty of great edge rushers, and on Saturday in Duke’s Week 2 loss to Illinois, he may have caught the first glimpse of the next one finally breaking out. At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, Vincent Anthony Jr. has always had the physical tools to be a difference maker at defensive end, and in the first half, especially, he put them to good use.
Anthony quickly racked up four quarterback pressures and converted three of them for sacks of Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer.