Duke football (9-3, 5-3) will close out the season in the TaxSlayer Gator bowl against the #14-ranked Ole Miss Rebels (9-3, 5-3) on January 2nd at 8:30pm ET.
Although bowl games are a chance to end the season on a high note, sometimes against a rival, it is also no secret that they don't mean that much outside of the pride of winning the game itself.
So, players enter the transfer portal before the game. It happens to every team, some at a more serious level than others.
Duke didn't get affected at an extreme rate through the portal, but its top two quarterbacks, Maalik Murphy and Grayson Loftis, both entered the portal after the end of the regular season, leaving Duke's third string QB to start: Henry Belin IV.
It will be a great moment to see Belin get a nod to start after seeing the field at a very minimal rate through his time in Durham so far.
And a story like this is also what makes college sports so great. Belin has a chance to beat one of the best quarterbacks in the sport in his final collegiate game, Jaxson Dart.
Dart was recently reported as available and will play in the Gator Bowl, meaning he will face Duke's third stringer who's barely seen the field in his career.
Dart is capping off his senior season. He played his freshman year at USC before transferring to Ole Miss where he's found his home for the last three seasons. In his career, he's thrown for 11,566 yards and 77 touchdowns.
In 2024, Dart is leading the country in total offense (360.6 yards per game) and passing yards per attempt (10.7). He's also ranked 2nd in the country in passing efficiency (177.7), 3rd in yards per completion (15.6), and 4th in total passing yards (3,875).
He broke the Ole Miss all-time passing yards record previously held by Eli Manning this season and was named a finalist for the Manning Award, given to the top quarterback in college football.
Dart's molded himself into one of the best quarterbacks in college football over the last few seasons and sits as a projected 3rd round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft according to Bleacher Report.
Then on the other hand, we meet Belin.
Belin was listed as a 3-star recruit out of high school and the #39 quarterback in the nation by On3. Coming out of Cardinal Hayes High School in The Bronx, Belin held offers from the likes of Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Rutgers, and others before committing to Duke.
He used 2022 as a redshirt season but appeared in one game against North Carolina A&T. Belin completed 5 of his 6 passes for 43 yards.
In 2023, Belin appeared in four games and saw his first ever start against NC State, where he threw for 107 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception on 4-of-12 passing. Through his four appearances on the season, Belin completed 13 of his 26 passes for 232 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a pick.
Entering his second start ever on a big stage, Belin has completed just one pass on the season.
Part of what makes college sports awesome is the opportunities for guys who don't see the spotlight much to jump onto the stage in a big way. This is the ultimate David vs. Goliath scenario, and Belin has a chance to finish off Duke's season in a special way.