Reeling from the loss of offensive standouts Daniel Jones, T.J. Rahming and others to graduation and the NFL, Duke's offense already had some serious concerns about depth to address.
Just a day after the team announced Friday that expected starting wide receiver Jake Bobo will be out indefinitely with a fractured right clavicle, the bad news kept coming for the Blue Devils, as head coach David Cutcliffe announced Saturday evening that redshirt freshman quarterback Gunnar Holmberg will be out indefinitely with a knee injury. Surgery for the injury is expected.
“It’s not a ligament, but at this day in time, we’re going to prepare for long term health," Cutcliffe said. "I’m disappointed for him. I’m disappointed for us, but I know he will do everything that he can to return as quickly as possible.”
Although he was likely going to enter the season as Duke's third-string quarterback behind starter Quentin Harris and redshirt sophomore Chris Katrenick, Holmberg carries the most pedigree of any of the Blue Devils' options behind center. The Wake Forest, N.C., native was a four-star prospect out of high school, and flashed his athleticism on a 19-yard scamper in Duke's victory against Temple in the Independence Bowl.
While Holmberg's injury does not have an immediate impact on Duke's outlook for this season, how he recovers from the injury is certainly a concern for the future, as many expect Holmberg to take over for Harris in 2020 and beyond.
Shane Smith contributed reporting.
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