GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — East Carolina coach Scottie Montgomery says quarterback Thomas Sirk is in the concussion protocol but if healthy is likely to start this week against No. 16 Virginia Tech.

Montgomery said Monday that Sirk hasn't been ruled out after testing, but "we have to stay on that" daily to determine if the graduate transfer from Duke can play for the Pirates (0-2).

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — East Carolina will start Thomas Sirk at quarterback this week at No. 22 West Virginia.

Coach Scottie Montgomery on Monday said Sirk would replace Gardner Minshew in the starting lineup for the Pirates (0-1), saying the graduate transfer from Duke "gave our team a big boost when he got off the ground, he could have laid down" in a loss to James Madison.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Gardner Minshew will begin the season as East Carolina's starting quarterback after beating out Duke transfer Thomas Sirk.

Coach Scottie Montgomery announced the decision following practice Tuesday.

Minshew threw for 1,347 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions while playing in seven games and making two starts last season.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Coach Scottie Montgomery helped make Thomas Sirk a starting quarterback at Duke. He could do it again at East Carolina.

The surroundings may have changed, but Montgomery and Sirk are together once more. Montgomery enters his second season as the Pirates' coach while Sirk followed him from Durham to Greenville a few months ago after he lost his starting job with the Blue Devils following a pair of serious injuries.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Thomas Sirk's best season at Duke came when Scottie Montgomery was calling his plays.

Now the quarterback and coach are together again — at East Carolina.

After leaving Duke following a pair of injuries to his Achilles tendon, Sirk is back on the field — this time as a graduate transfer at East Carolina for Montgomery, his former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who's in his second year as the Pirates' head man.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — East Carolina has added three graduate transfers from Power Five schools — including coach Scottie Montgomery's old quarterback at Duke.

Montgomery on Friday announced the signings of quarterback Thomas Sirk, running back Tyshon Dye of Clemson and defensive lineman Gaelin Elmore of Minnesota. All can play immediately and have one year of eligibility remaining.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke's Daniel Jones isn't looking over his shoulder at anyone.

Former starter Thomas Sirk's decision to transfer leaves Jones as the Blue Devils' unquestioned starter.

That move, along with a flurry of early NFL draft declarations across the division, leaves Jones with an odd designation as the dean of starting quarterbacks in the ACC's Coastal Division — as a rising redshirt sophomore.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk is transferring for his sixth year of eligibility.

In announcing the move Monday, coach David Cutcliffe described Sirk as "the ultimate teammate."

Sirk suffered three Achilles tendon injuries during his career and missed the 2013 and 2016 seasons. Redshirt freshman Daniel Jones showed promise after earning the starting job, throwing for 2,836 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Blue Devils (4-8, 1-7 Atlantic Coast Conference).

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke says three returning players recovering from surgeries will not take part in contact drills when spring practice begins Friday.

Team spokesman Art Chase said Thursday that starting offensive tackle Gabe Brandner, starting linebacker Ben Humphreys and former starting quarterback Thomas Sirk will miss the contact portions of practice.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke says three returning players recovering from surgeries will not take part in contact drills when spring practice begins Friday.

Team spokesman Art Chase said Thursday that starting offensive tackle Gabe Brandner, starting linebacker Ben Humphreys and former starting quarterback Thomas Sirk will miss the contact portions of practice.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk has been granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA.

School officials announced Monday that Sirk will be eligible to play in 2017. He has not played this year after injuring his left Achilles tendon twice since February.

He will be a sixth-year senior next year, having previously redshirted in 2013 after rupturing his other Achilles tendon.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke is breaking in a new quarterback. The Blue Devils' offense still should look familiar.

Redshirt freshman Daniel Jones makes his debut with the Blue Devils on Saturday night when they open the season against crosstown opponent North Carolina Central.

Jones is the first freshman quarterback to start an opener at Duke since 1997, and just the fourth since 1951.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — In a story Aug. 30 about Duke quarterback Daniel Jones, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Jones is the first Duke freshman quarterback in 65 years to start a season opener. He is the fourth in 65 years and the first since 1997.

A corrected version of the story is below:

The 'Future' is now for Duke, QB Daniel Jones gets 1st start

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk will miss the season after tearing the Achilles tendon he first tore in February.

Coach David Cutcliffe said Saturday that the redshirt senior will have surgery to repair the partial tear in his left Achilles tendon.

This marks the third injury to an Achilles tendon since 2013 for Sirk, who led Duke in rushing and passing last season and was the co-MVP of the Blue Devils' Pinstripe Bowl victory over Indiana.

Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk is expected to miss the season after reinjuring the Achilles tendon he tore in February, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Friday night.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced Sirk's status.