Two transfers visiting Duke football
Duke has the opportunity to add veteran talent to its football program this weekend.
Two players currently in the NCAA transfer portal, Clemson quarterback Chase Brice and Stanford offensive tackle Devery Hamilton, are scheduled to visit Duke’s campus as they consider joining the Blue Devils.
Brice is leaving Clemson after backing up all-ACC quarterback Trevor Lawrence for the last two seasons. With Lawrence back for his junior season in 2020, Brice seeks more playing time and will be immediately eligible for the 2020 season. A three-star recruit out of high school, he’s set to graduate from Clemson in May and will have two seasons of eligibility at his new school.
The 6-7, 301-pound Hamilton played three seasons at Stanford but was limited by injury to just four games last season. He’ll be a graduate transfer immediately eligible with at least one, and possibly two, seasons of eligibility at his new school.
Hamilton, from Elliott City, Maryland, was a four-star recruit from Baltimore’s Gilman School when he signed with Stanford. After redshirting in 2016, he played in 12 games as a reserve in 2017.
In 2018, he played 11 games with six starts, showing tremendous versatility. He started three games at left guard, two at right guard and one at left tackle.
He started the first four games last season for Stanford before suffering a season-ending injury on the final play of Oregon’s 21-6 win over the Cardinal on Sept. 21.
His size, strength and versatility would help Duke. The Blue Devils return four starters along their offensive line: sophomore tackles Casey Holman and Jacob Monk, senior right guard Rakavius Chambers and senior center Jack Wohlabaugh.
Hamilton, if he chooses Duke, could help at guard or tackle for a unit that struggled with pass blocking last season.
The Blue Devils would like to add Brice since they are without an experienced quarterback to handle the offense in 2020. Quentin Harris started all 12 games last season but has exhausted his eligibility.
Redshirt freshman Gunnar Holmberg, who has only seen action in one college game, is recovering from a knee injury that kept him off the field all last season. Holmberg is healthy and expected to compete in spring practice.
Redshirt junior Chris Katrenick has played in seven games over the last two seasons. He completed only three of 13 passes last season in spot duty.
Freshman quarterback Luca Diamont, a three-star recruit from California, enrolled in January and will be able to participate in spring practice.
Brice was at Grayson High School in Snellville, Georgia, with Will and John Taylor, twin brothers who are both offensive linemen for the Blue Devils.
Will Taylor backs up Wohlabaugh at center, having started last November after Wohlabaugh had season-ending ankle surgery. John Taylor is a long-snapper.
Duke has already added one graduate transfer this offseason in safety J’Marick Woods, who came to Duke from Michigan. Woods has two years of eligibility with the Blue Devils.
Duke has seen 10 of its players enter the NCAA Transfer Portal as graduate transfers. Running back Brittain Brown is heading to UCLA and wide receiver Aaron Young will play at Florida Atlantic in 2020.
Freshman cornerback Isaiah Kemp left Duke after the fall semester to enroll at East Carolina.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 3:23 PM.