ACC Football: Each team’s top Heisman Trophy candidate for 2020

The Blue Devils’ fortunes — and David Cutcliffe’s statue — rest on the right arm of Clemson grad transfer Chase Brice. His arrival in Durham instantly upgraded the quarterback room and made him the best player on the team.

Brice would have to elevate a young group of receivers that do return two of their top three receivers. Tight end Noah Gray and wide receiver Jalon Calhoun return as targets for him. The X-factor for this happening is not Brice; it’s Cutcliffe.

Brice is the best quarterback Cutcliffe has had since Daniel Jones. When he had Jones — and he was healthy — the Duke offense put up numbers without great skill players. One could argue that Brice is more polished — he’s a grad transfer — and the skill players are better.

For Brice, he has to prove that he’s more than an excellent backup. He saved Clemson’s skin on a couple of occasions against Syracuse. There’s a reason, however, he wasn’t the heir apparent at Clemson.

If the Duke Blue Devils make a miracle run to the ACC title game with an undefeated record or one loss, it is because the Cutcliffe-Brice connection was as good as the Joe Brady-Joe Burrow connection at LSU in 2019. That’s sure to get Brice some Heisman consideration.