Chase Brice to be Duke’s starting quarterback in opener against Notre Dame
Duke has named Chase Brice the starting quarterback for Saturday’s football opener against Notre Dame, it was announced Sunday.
The Blue Devils also have named their team captains for the 2020 season: Michael Carter II, Noah Gray, Deon Jackson, Chris Rumph II, and the injured Jack Wohlabaugh.
The announcements were made Sunday. The captains were elected by their teammates.
Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who also has taken over the offensive coordinator duties this year, decided on Brice, a transfer from Clemson, as the No. 1 quarterback after watching him compete in fall camp with Chris Katrenick and Gunnar Holmberg.
“I could not be more proud of the three young men who competed for the privilege to be this team’s starting quarterback at Notre Dame in the season-opener,” Cutcliffe said in a statement. “Chase, Chris (Katrenick) and Gunnar (Holmberg) all have played really well during camp. We have a healthy quarterback room and the competition has made everyone better. Ultimately, Chase has made plays at the highest rate.”
Brice was a part of Clemson’s 2018 national championship run, serving as the backup to quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The junior is an accurate passer and has the size at 6-3 and 235 pounds to factor into Duke’s running game.
Brice passed for 581 yards and four touchdowns for the Tigers last season while rushing 14 times for 94 yards and a TD. In 2018, when Lawrence was injured against Syracuse, he came in to lead a 94-yard scoring drive in Clemson’s 27-23 comeback win.
As for the new team captains, Carter II is a 5-11, 190-pound senior safety who has played in 35 career games and is a two-time Academic All-ACC selection and a candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award.
Gray, a 6-4, 240-pound senior tight end, was a second-team All-America choice in 2019 and has 76 career receptions for 663 yards and six touchdowns.
Jackson, a 6-0, 220-pound senior running back, has 1,585 career rushing yards and 13 touchdowns while catching 51 passes for 449 yards and four scores in 37 games.
Rumph II, a 6-4, 235-pound junior defensive end, has played in 25 games. He earned All-America honors a season ago after posting 47 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Wohlabaugh, a 6-4, 305-pound center, has played in 22 career games. He is out of action indefinitely after suffering an ACL injury last week.
This story was originally published September 6, 2020 at 6:34 PM.
