The transfer market was loaded with talent and potential this offseason, and one example of this was Clemson quarterback Chase Brice, who joined the Duke football program.
Chase Brice, now a Duke football signal-caller with two years of eligibility remaining, sat behind star Trevor Lawrence during his two years at Clemson (after redshirting as a freshman) but still got solid action on the field.
Brice was crucial in a 2018 bout with Syracuse when Lawrence left the game with a neck injury. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Georgia native led the Tigers to a win that day, which would enable them to remain undefeated and eventually cap off a 15-0 season, winning the national championship.
During his time in Death Valley, Brice completed 82 of his 136 passes (60.3 percent) for a combined 1,023 yards. In addition, he threw for nine touchdowns and only four interceptions while donning the orange and white.
On Feb. 2, the 22-year-old decided to transfer to Duke for the upcoming season (by graduating early, he’s eligible to play right away). I recently had the privilege of asking Chase some questions regarding his decision, which can be found below.
Q: How hard of a decision was it to leave Clemson after winning a national championship with the team?
A: It was a really tough decision to leave a place like Clemson. I’ve grown and developed tremendously during my time there. I’ve made so many great friendships, networks, and been around such great people for me to thrive and succeed.
Q: What is it like going through the transfer process?
A: The transfer process was hectic the first few days. When you enter the portal, you go into this world of names and positions that coaches can see. Once I entered, I had several teams hit me up, but Duke was the first. It’s not like high school recruiting. They give you the main points. These coaches don’t have to sell you as much like they did in high school. This process is a business decision, and that’s how I made my decision on Duke.
Q: What about Duke grabbed your attention as being the right place for you?
A: I liked Duke coming out of high school. Coach Cut is a great coach, but he’s an even better person. I wanted to keep that same consistency wherever I went. I chose Duke because it is the right place for me. Duke is not flashy and they do not do too much, and I honestly love that the most. I knew in my heart Duke is where I needed to finish my career.
Q: What is something you learned from your time at Clemson that you can translate into this new chapter of your career?
A: All the season is, is a one-game mentality. That’s how it was at Clemson, and I know that’s the mindset at Duke: take it one at a time.
Q: How excited are you to work with the young and upcoming WR corps the Blue Devils have?
A: I’ve gotten to know several of the receivers, and I’m really excited to get to work with them. They are a very talented group and work every day to get better from what I’ve heard and seen.
Q: What is one thing about this Duke team that you think will contribute to exceeding expectations?
A: This is a very experienced Duke football team. The offensive line is back, running backs are back, wide receivers and tight ends back, defensive line is back, and linebackers are back. We are very experienced at DB and safety. We got all that we need, and the coaches know it. It is up to us, the players, to put the work in and accomplish our goal of winning one game at a time.
Brice won’t just be handed the starting job. He will have to battle it out with incoming freshman Luca Diamont, along with the experienced Chris Katrenick and Gunnar Holmberg. No matter who lines up behind center this fall, the Blue Devils will have plenty of weapons at wide receiver as they return a plethora of young talent.
A bright season is certainly ahead for the players, if they can be efficient and utilize the talent they possess. Last year, playcalling seemed to plague the Duke football team on its way to a 5-7 record, but the hope is this will change with head coach David Cutcliffe now making these decisions.
I’d like to thank Chase for taking the time to chat with me for this article. Here’s to a great 2020 Duke football season, Durham!
Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more updates and analyses regarding all things Duke football.