Clemson has been a quarterback factory, with many of them highly ranked who can’t crack the starting lineup transferring to different programs. Duke was the benefactor of Trevor Lawrence’s greatness, as Chase Brice transferred to Durham looking for an opportunity to start. Well, that opportunity has become reality, as Duke named Brice their starter.
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The Irish will face a former 3-star recruit who in limited playing time behind Lawrence completed 82-of-136 passes for 1,023 yards and 9 TD’s with 4 INT’s. Brice also rushed for 187 yards and 1 TD on 30 attempts.
Duke struggled at the quarterback position last year after first round pick Daniel Jones went off the to NFL. Brice is a solid quarterback, but obviously is not Lawrence and will not have the talented skill position players Clemson has at their disposal.
Now that Clark Lea and the rest of this defensive staff know who they are going up against they can properly game plan for Brice. Honestly, this isn’t the smartest decision by Duke head coach David Cutcliffe. He could have announced to the team his intentions, and not make it known to everyone, giving Duke an advantage without the Irish knowing who would be behind center the first snap. Now this is a wash, as Brian Kelly and Lea will surely be looking over old Clemson tape to get a feel for what Brice can do. Duke’s announcement is Notre Dame’s gain in this situation.