Duke’s slide since the bye week has been hard to miss. After opening the 2026 season 4-0 and looking like a team with a path back to Charlotte, the Blue Devils have now dropped back-to-back games against Georgia Tech and North Carolina, and the returns have been rough enough to raise real questions about whether they belong in the ACC championship conversation at all.
That backdrop makes Friday night’s trip to Charlottesville feel especially important. Against Virginia, Manny Diaz’s team has to show something different - not just a better result, but a cleaner, sharper brand of football. The last two weeks have featured too many of the same problems, and Duke can’t keep surviving long enough to expect the comeback script to bail it out every time.
One of the biggest issues has been the way these games have started. Duke has turned into a second-half team over the last two outings, scrambling to mount comeback attempts after falling behind by two or more possessions.
Last week’s game was especially sloppy early, with the Blue Devils digging a 17-0 hole in the first quarter and a half before also finding themselves down 21-10 against Georgia Tech. They nearly pulled off a win in either game, but that kind of recovery act is a dangerous way to live.
The contrast with Week 2 is obvious. Against Illinois, Duke started fast and closed well, and that formula is sitting there waiting to be used again. If the Blue Devils can bring that same energy on Friday night, it could set the tone for a much-needed win.
The offense also needs Walker Eget to put together a complete game. There have been flashes - enough to show he can keep things on schedule and hit the occasional big throw - but the inconsistency keeps showing up. Too often, Eget has missed open targets or taken too long to work through his reads.
His lack of mobility is part of the problem, too, and it has left something missing in the Blue Devils’ offense. It may even be time to give Dan Mahan a look if Eget struggles again against Virginia. At minimum, Duke needs a clean outing from Eget if it wants any chance of settling its offensive issues.
Then there’s the defense, which has been shaky for two straight weeks. The Blue Devils have had moments, but far too often they have failed to make the decisive stop or play when the game is hanging in the balance. Penalties have made matters worse, adding another layer of self-inflicted trouble.
Duke also has to tighten up the details on that side of the ball. That means better alley and run support discipline on the edge, better run fits, a firmer edge, cleaner gap discipline, and better awareness in zone coverage. Those breakdowns have shown up at the worst possible times over the last two weeks, and if Duke wants to get back on track, that has to change immediately.
In Other News...
Dukes 2028 Recruiting Board Just Got More Interesting
The early board for Dukes 2028 class keeps taking shape, and Josiah Rose is the latest name to land on it. The five-star point guard from Faith Family Academy in Texas picked up a scholarship offer from Jon Scheyer, adding another elite target to a class that is already drawing national attention. Rose is ranked No. 6 overall and No. 1 in Texas by 247Sports, and his list of suitors already stretches past two dozen programs.
Roses offer also fits a broader pattern for Duke, which has been active early with the 2028 group. The Blue Devils have also offered Colton Hiller and Yann Kamagate, while already sitting on two commitments in the 2027 class, a sign that Scheyer and his staff are keeping the pipeline moving well ahead of the usual recruiting scramble. For now, the real intrigue is how quickly Duke can turn that early interest into traction with one of the cycles premier guards. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Jake Dickert
Marylands coaching search is suddenly one of the more interesting openings on the board after the school moved on from Mike Locksley following a 2-5 start and a seven-plus-year run that finished at 39-54. For a program trying to reset, the next hire will matter just as much as the last one did, and this will be athletic director Jim Smiths first major decision since taking over the job.
Industry chatter has already started to link a familiar list of candidates to the opening, with Jake Dickert among the names drawing attention alongside Manny Diaz, Jason Eck, Bryant Haines, Mike Shanahan, Charles Huff, Brian Kelly and Dan Mullen. For Wake Forest fans, Dickerts presence on that list is the part worth watching, because any serious movement there could quickly reshape the ripple effects around the ACC coaching market. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Early Dominance Has Put Two Potential Breakouts In Focus
Dukes strong exhibition showing against Tennessee offered an early look at how quickly this roster can settle in, and it also pushed a few names to the front of the conversation before the games start counting. With the Blue Devils coming out of that matchup looking sharp and decisive, the focus naturally shifted to the younger pieces who could shape what this team becomes over the course of the season.
Dame Sarr, Deron Rippey Jr. and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje were among the players drawing the most attention, with each flashing enough in limited preseason action to suggest there is room for a real breakthrough. The challenge now is sorting out which of those early impressions will hold once the schedule stiffens, but Duke already has a clearer picture of the kind of depth and development it may be able to lean on. [Read more 🡒]