Paulus visits Michigan; Duke ruled out

Duke football coach David Cutcliffe said Wednesday that he had serious discussions with former point guard Greg Paulus about the possibility of joining the Blue Devils football team next season.

Cutcliffe told Paulus that if his goal was to play quarterback, he didn't have much of a shot at Duke. The Blue Devils have a fourth-year returning starter in Thaddeus Lewis.

Paulus, who has one year of football eligibility remaining after playing four seasons of basketball, visited Michigan on Tuesday to explore the possibility of playing there, Duke sports information director Art Chase confirmed. Paulus - who chose to play basketball at Duke even though he was the top-rated quarterback in his class as a senior at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, N.Y., also worked out for the Green Bay Packers earlier this week.

"We talked extensively," Cutcliffe said Wednesday on the ACC football coaches' spring media teleconference. "He's a quarterback at heart. There was no way he was going to be able to compete and play quarterback for us, and I think that was the deciding factor."

Cutcliffe offered to let Paulus come out to Duke's final six practices and see if he could help at slot receiver, but Paulus didn't take him up on the offer. Cutcliffe said Michigan's offense and personnel situation might be more favorable to Paulus' skills if he decides to transfer.

In high school, Paulus ran a spread offense that more closely resembles Michigan's than Duke's.

"It's difficult when you haven't been playing quarterback in a long time just to step back in a pro-style offense and play," Cutcliffe said. "They've had quarterback issues (at Michigan), and certainly that offense would be more friendly with an athletic quarterback." - Ken Tysiac