Gunnar Holmberg: Never Shy Away From Taking a Shot

Quarterback returned to field in abbreviated spring practice

Gunnar Holmberg is the dark horse in Duke’s four-way quarterback battle. After playing three snaps in the Independence Bowl in his redshirt freshman season, Holmberg entered last season looking to win the backup job behind Quentin Harris.

Early in training camp, however, Holmberg suffered a serious knee injury in practice and missed the entire season.

Now a sophomore, Holmberg opened spring practice at number two on the depth chart, looking to pull ahead of Chris Katrenick, listed as the started, and hold off true freshman Luca Diamont and incoming grad transfer Chase Bryant.

Instead, spring ball got shut down after three practices, sending Holmberg and the rest of the players home to work out on their own.

Still, Holmberg got a chance to test the knee during the three practices Duke got in.

“It felt good,” he told Duke Football’s All 22 podcast. “I definitely felt like I hadn’t played in awhile. I got better every single day. It felt good to know there are things I need to work on, even though I thought I had everything down. Little things are huge, especially being quarterback: Catching the snap, calling plays to the center, little things you forget about doing it in your backyard.”

There are other little things Holmberg is working on during his solo workouts at home. “Coach (David) Cutcliffe and Coach (Zac) Roper are big on getting your first step down, even in the shotgun,” he said, “some under center stuff, just being quick with footwork, identifying defenses quickly. Timing-wise, my feet and arm are very connected. Strengthening my core is very important.”

Holmberg doesn’t have the same setup as Duke’s weight room and practice fields on campus, but it seems to be working.

“(It’s) Not a big backyard,” he said. “One of my old coaches from high school gave me some stuff from their weight room. I’ve got some dumbbells, kettlebells, things I need—Little things that’ll help as compared to trying to lift a bookbag, which is what a lot of people are doing right now. I can do footwork anywhere. I can do a three-step drop anywhere, just in my backyard, driveway. I can do a 10-yard shuttle, even just playing with my dog, working on some quickness. You’ve got to get creative.”

Holmberg’s experience of going through the injury helped him grow as a leader and a quarterback.

“My drive is never in question when I’m out there,” he said, “but I try to keep a level head. I think that’s important. Marcus Mariota, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers—you never see them get too fired up. I think it’s important not to let the defense know your emotion. Always positive—going through an injury, you never let yourself get too low. Bad days are always going to come to an end.”

“Rehab is big, especially as a guy trying to be a leader,” he added. “I think it makes you a better teammate. Guys you can tell have been through it when they talk to you, as compared to somebody that’s never really had it happen to them.”

Fans haven’t seen much of Holmberg in his two years at Duke, so he gave a self-scouting report:

“I’m trying to find my groove in college,” he said. “I’m a mobile guy. I can run, but I’m not going to unless I need to. We’re always taught, ‘Never turn down a completion. Never shy away from taking a shot.’ We’ve got big bodies on the outside that we can do that with. In high school, I think I threw a good deep ball. As I get back into the groove, I think that’ll come back to me. I’m not a guy that’s going to solely try to run. I’m going to see who’s open while I do it. I think it’s big. Throwing on the run is something I’m good at.”