Duke is the clear favorite in the ACC heading into the 2026-27 season, and the preseason poll from last week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tipoff event in Charlotte backed that up in a big way.
The Blue Devils landed at No. 1 with 861 points and 45 first-place votes, putting them comfortably ahead of the rest of the league. Virginia followed in second with 778 points and one first-place vote, while Louisville checked in third with 758 and Miami came in fourth with 753, also earning one first-place vote. North Carolina rounded out the top five at 658.
Here’s how the full voting shook out:
- Duke (45), 861
- Virginia (1), 778
- Louisville (1), 758
- Miami (1), 753
- North Carolina, 658
- Clemson, 623
- Florida State, 519
- NC State, 502
- Virginia Tech, 489
- SMU, 443
- Syracuse, 353
- Pitt, 323
- Stanford, 267
- Wake Forest, 234
- California, 225
- Notre Dame, 153
- Boston College, 150
- Georgia Tech, 119
That top-slot projection lines up with the expectations around Jon Scheyer’s group. As Scheyer enters his fifth season, Duke opens the year at home against Army on November 2nd in Cameron Indoor Stadium, and the Blue Devils are once again being treated like one of the teams capable of making a deep run in April.
After last season’s disappointing ending, the pressure and anticipation around Duke are both high. The belief around the program is simple: this is a roster built to contend.
Duke should also be near the top of the next wave of national rankings, with both the coaches and AP top 25 polls expected to reflect the same confidence in the group when those are released in the coming week.
The Blue Devils also made noise in the preseason awards as part of ACC Tipoff. Guard John Blackwell and center Patrick Ngongba II were both named to the All-ACC First Team, while freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje landed on the All-ACC Second Team.
Blackwell finished second in preseason Player of the Year voting, trailing only Thijs De Ridder of Virginia. Boumtje Boumtje also picked up the most buzz among league newcomers, taking 34 votes to become the favorite for ACC Rookie of the Year.
In Other News...
Duke's ACC Push Suddenly Looks Much Tougher Before North Carolina
Dukes path through the ACC got a lot steeper after a recent loss, and the timing could hardly be worse with North Carolina coming to Durham in a game that now feels even more important to the Blue Devils championship hopes. The setback on the field was compounded by injuries to starting kicker Cosme Salas and linebacker Elliott Schaper, both of whom will miss the rest of the 2026 season, leaving the staff to sort through some late-season uncertainty before one of the rivalry games that always carries extra weight.
The good news for Duke is that the linebacker room has enough depth to absorb Schapers absence, even if it is still a significant loss for a defense trying to stay steady in ACC play. The bigger adjustment may come on special teams, where rookie kicker Gavin Strange is now the next man up, and his spot under the spotlight arrives at exactly the wrong time if the Blue Devils want to keep their league title chase intact. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Suddenly Faces Major Pressure In Rivalry Game With North Carolina
A stumble against Georgia Tech changed the mood around Duke in a hurry, turning what had been a promising start into a stretch where every remaining game carries a little more weight. The Blue Devils now have to regroup quickly, because the margin for error in the ACC has shrunk and the next few weeks will say plenty about whether this team can still keep pace after its first loss of 2026.
North Carolina is waiting next, and the rivalry setting only sharpens the pressure on Manny Diaz and his team. The Tar Heels just survived a close one against Pittsburgh, a game in which Pitt was missing its starting quarterback, and Duke will be expected to answer with a better showing at home if it wants to steady itself and stay in the conference conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Duke's Early Hype Faces A Real Defensive Test Against Tennessee
Duke opened its preseason with a solid showing against Belmont, giving the Blue Devils an early glimpse of what this group can look like when the defense is active and the offense is flowing. Now the attention turns to October 20, when Tennessee comes to Cameron Indoor Stadium for an exhibition that should tell a lot more about where Duke stands in the second year of its buildup.
Tennessee arrives with a roster rebuilt through the transfer portal and the kind of offensive ceiling that can expose gaps before the games start counting. For Duke, the matchup is less about the final score than the stress test it provides, especially for a defense that looked sharp in the first scrimmage but has not yet seen a challenge with this much size, skill and firepower. [Read more 🡒]