Durham will not be the landing spot for Jeff Driskel, as JC Schurburtt of 247Sports first reported the news last night that Driskel has decided to transfer instead to Louisiana Tech.
Driskel will have one year of eligibility with the Bulldogs. They are coached by Skip Holtz and finished 9-5 this season, with a win against Illinois in the Heart of Texas Bowl capping their campaign.
Prior to the past 36 hours, many believed Driskel would make the move to Durham with all the various pieces set in place for him to step in as the starter.
Driskel led the Gators to 28-20 against East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl but was released from his Florida scholarship before the game. This raised many his next possible landing spot, with the Blue Devils coming high on the list. The News & Observer's Laura Keeley was the first to report that Driskel was considering becoming a graduate transfer for Duke next season.
Driskel also played for offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, who had left the same position at Duke just the year before to take over the Gator offense. Roper had spent more than a decade alongside Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and would have been a key connection for the Blue Devils.
Duke will now look to fill the hole left by redshirt senior Anthony Boone with Thomas Sirk—who is next up on the depth chart—though Parker Boehme and Nicodem Pierre are both young talents that may compete for the spot in the coming months.
Sirk has thrown for just 14 passes, and though three of them have gone for touchdowns on jump-passes in goal-line situations, his long is only 18 yards. The Blue Devils coaching staff will have much to sort out in the coming months, so check back in with The Chronicle and The Blue Zone for updates on Duke's 2015 quarterback situation and more.
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