Duke brought back a lot of winning, and Caleb Foster may be the piece that tells you the most about what the Blue Devils can become.
The Blue Devils returned three starters from a team that won the ACC regular-season and tournament titles, claimed the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and reached the Elite Eight. Dame Sarr, Foster, and Patrick Ngongba were all significant keeps for Jon Scheyer’s program, not just because they bring rotation value, but because they fit the look of the 2026-27 roster.
Among that group, Foster stands out for a different reason. The senior guard has a real chance to prove he belongs as a championship-level starting point guard.
His 2025-26 season was the kind of bounce-back that can reshape a player’s reputation. After a sophomore year in 2024-25 that never took off the way many expected, Foster found himself sliding out of the rotation for long stretches in the back half of the regular season.
A transfer would have been the easy move. Instead, he stayed in Durham and earned his way back.
That decision paid off. The North Carolina native posted career-best numbers across the board last season, averaging 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 44.7% from the field. He also knocked down just about 40% of his three-pointers on 3.0 attempts per game.
Those numbers don’t scream star. The advanced metrics won’t make him the headline act, either.
But Foster’s value is in the stuff that keeps a good team running: the steady possessions, the physical defense on the perimeter, the rebounding from the guard spot, the way he organizes the offense. On a roster loaded with talent, that kind of presence matters.
Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney recently left Foster off his top 10 point guards in college basketball heading into 2026-27, though Cayden Boozer made the list of 10 more guards to watch. That puts Foster in an interesting spot: overlooked nationally, but positioned to play one of the most important roles on the team.
Foster and Boozer are similar in some ways, but Foster is the player who looks likeliest to open the season as Duke’s starting point guard alongside John Blackwell. Boozer is talented enough to start for most high-major teams, and he’ll still be a major part of the rotation, but Foster’s experience should give him the edge when the season begins.
That experience is not a small thing. Foster has already been part of two Elite Eight teams and a Final Four team at Duke, and he showed exactly why he matters in the Blue Devils’ Sweet 16 game against St. John’s last season.
Three weeks after foot surgery, and after fracturing his foot in the regular-season finale against North Carolina, Foster returned to action and helped lead Duke in an 80-75 win. He finished with 11 points, two assists, no turnovers, and shot 5-of-8 from the field in 19 minutes.
That was the clearest reminder of what he brings. Foster may not be the guy putting up 20 points or seven assists on a regular basis, but Duke doesn’t need him to be that. It needs him to steady things, defend, rebound, and run the show.
With this roster, that responsibility matters. Duke may be the deepest team in college basketball, but championship teams still need veteran guards who can keep everything pointed in the right direction. Foster has already shown he can handle those moments.
Now he gets the chance to do it as the lead guard on a team built to chase something bigger.
In Other News...
Dukes Rebuilt Defense Faces A Camp Test That Could Define 2025
Last seasons defensive numbers left Duke with no margin for comfort, and if the Blue Devils are going to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation, the rebuilt front has to come together quickly. The departure of key pieces up front and on the back end has turned training camp into an extended audition, with the coaching staff sorting through a group that includes Bryce Davis, Owen Wafle, DaShawn Stone, Andrew Pelicciotta, Patrick Smith-Young, Che Ojarikre and Kaleb Lanier.
The challenge is bigger than simply replacing names on a depth chart. Duke needs more disruption, more stability and a unit that can hold up against higher-level opponents, which makes every rep in camp matter for a defense trying to change its identity. How well those new pieces settle into their roles may end up shaping not just the start of the season, but whether this group can push the program where it wants to go in 2025. [Read more 🡒]
Duke May Be Catching A Crucial Break Before Its First Test
Dukes first real test of the season may have gotten a little easier before kickoff. Tulane could be without running back Jamauri McClure for the opener because of a left foot injury, a notable twist for a Green Wave offense that was already leaning on a rebuilt backfield after bringing in several veteran runners through the transfer portal.
For Duke, any edge matters in a debut that will say plenty about where Manny Diazs team stands right away. The Blue Devils are sorting through new starting quarterback options and some defensive questions, so the matchup was going to demand a clean start even before Tulanes injury situation entered the picture. Losing a proven runner from the other side would not settle anything on its own, but it could change the shape of a game that already feels revealing for both programs. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Secondary Battle Could Define Manny Diaz's Defensive Rebuild
Dukes pass defense was a problem area last season, finishing near the bottom of the FBS and giving up nearly 277 passing yards per game, so Manny Diaz went into the offseason treating the secondary like an open competition instead of a unit with any established order. He has brought in several transfer players to push for cornerback and safety roles, giving the Blue Devils a chance to reshape a group that needs a cleaner start if the defense is going to take a step forward.
The bigger picture is that the rebuild will not be instant, and Diaz has already acknowledged there will be growing pains as the staff sorts through the mix before the opener against Tulane. For Duke, the question is not simply who plays, but how quickly the secondary can settle enough to look dependable in a league where pass defense can turn a season fast. [Read more 🡒]