David Cutcliffe has his staff in place, just in time for Monday's start of Spring practice. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

With Spring practice set to start Monday, Duke football has its coaching staff in place. Head coach David Cutcliffe assigned the last remaining open position, recruiting coordinator, to Zac Roper. In addition to serving that job, Roper, who is entering his sixth year on the staff, has also been promoted to special teams coordinator. Roper is the brother of Duke's offensive coordinator, Kurt, and played for Cutcliffe at Ole Miss.

The school also officially announced the promotion of Re'quan Boyette to running backs coach. Boyette, who played at Duke and graduated in 2009, had been a graduate assistant, and his promotion was previously reported Saturday.

Duke has filled its last football coaching opening, promoting graduate assistant Re’quan Boyette to running backs coach.

Boyette played running back at Duke from 2005-2009, rushing for 1,202 yards and four touchdowns in his four-year playing career. He led Duke in rushing during the 2006 and 2007 seasons (he took a medical redshirt during the 2008 campaign). Boyette also caught 47 career passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns.

Boyette joined the coaching staff in July 2012 as a defensive assistant. With the departures of Ron Middleton and Matt Lubick to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oregon, respectively, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe had the flexibility to reassign roles. He made one outside hire (Scotte Montgomery from the Pittsburgh Steelers) and one promotion (Boyette).

Duke's football program released its injury report on Thursday and it revealed a possible hole at the running back position as the Blue Devils face No. 22-ranked Kansas on Saturday.

Senior starting running back Re'quan Boyette is listed as probable with an ankle injury, while his backup Jay Hollingsworth is listed as questionable with an ankle injury.

DURHAM — Running back Re'quan Boyette won't play this season, Duke coach David Cutcliffe said Wednesday.

The senior had knee surgery in August and has not played in Duke's first seven games. Cutcliffe had said all along he wouldn't push Boyette to play if he wasn't 100 percent.

Re'quan Boyette, Duke's leading rusher, is out indefinitely after injuring his knee in the team's scrimmage on Saturday night. The senior running back underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Sunday, according to the team.

Duke offered no time table for Boyette's return.

Boyette led the Blue Devils with 432 rushing yards in 2007 and for the first time in his career had the starting running back job to himself. Without Boyette, Duke will lean on Clifford Harris, converted safety Tony Jackson and two true freshmen — Jay Hollingsworth and Patrick Kurunwune.

The Devils ranked last in the ACC and 117th in the country in rushing offense in 2007, averaging 64 yards per game.