Mellencamp was home-schooled and did not play high school football, but was an accomplished boxer in Indiana. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound defensive back was issued jersey No. 17.

Coach David Cutcliffe calls him "a pretty courageous young man" who is "trying to do something he's never done before."

Cutcliffe said Mellencamp had already been accepted to Duke and said "this was something the youngster wanted to try." He says the plan is to shield Mellencamp from the media and "try to keep him back behind the scenes" while taking things slowly because of his lack of football experience.