Chase Brice: "Who Better to Work With Than Coach Cutcliffe?"

After the departure of senior quarterback Quentin Harris, Duke is in good hands with Clemson transfer Chase Brice as his successor.

Brice joined Virginia-based quarterbacks coach Malcolm Bell’s webinar “All Things Quarterback,” on May 15 to listen to former NFL signal callers Doug Flutie and Akili Smith share their experiences and offer advice to the younger guys on the panel, which included Brice, Notre Dame’s Brendon Clark, and Virginia Tech’s Hendon Hooker, among others.

Both Flutie and Smith stressed the importance of being mentally prepared by knowing the ins and outs of the game plan. The retired quarterbacks also warned the younger guys about off the field distractions and the risk of falling behind in the game plan.

Brice understands the importance of giving yourself an advantage rising through the ranks of the highly competitive football state of Georgia and emerging as a top recruit playing at a well-known program in Grayson high school.

He did so by focusing on “the little things” working out with quarterback coach Tony Ballard growing up.

“I tried to take what I learned and use it in 7-on-7s’ by treating it like a real game. When I got into an actual game, everything was just muscle memory to me,” said Brice to his peers on Bell’s webinar panel.

Brice enrolled at Clemson in 2017 and was redshirted as a freshman before spending the last two years as a backup to superstar Trevor Lawrence.

During his three seasons at Clemson, Brice threw 9 touchdowns to 4 interceptions for 1,023 yards on 136 passing attempts with a 60.3% completion percentage.

His most notable moment came in 2018 when Lawrence went down with an injury against Syracuse. Brice stepped in going 7-of-13 for 83 yards and an interception leading the Tigers to victory helping them remain undefeated during their National Title season.

Brice credited his performance to head coach Dabo Swinney and the Tiger’s coaching staff, who helped prepare him to be ready to step in and play at any moment.

“Coach Swinney is a great guy who treats you like his own. He gives everyone an opportunity and makes sure you are prepared. I was at the bottom of the depth chart and next thing I know a few things happened and I got thrown into a game, but I was ready for the moment,” said Brice on the webinar.

“Our quarterback coach Brandon Streeter taught us that you are never going to play perfect. What really matters is how you respond in the face of adversity.”

Brice will join Duke in the fall and play under Blue Devils head coach David Cutcliffe who has a highly accredited reputation for developing quarterbacks such as future Hall of Famers Peyton and Eli Manning along with current Giant Daniel Jones.

“I just felt like it was the best fit for me to come here. It was a business decision to develop my skills and who better to work with than coach Cutcliffe,” exclaimed Brice.

Brice is the clear-cut favorite to take over as the starter at Duke in 2020 and he certainly has the right people in his corner.

After going through the “wringer” at Clemson which he says helped better prepare him, plus now having the opportunity to work with coach Cutcliffe, Brice is setup to exceed expectations under center at Duke.