Duke’s offensive line has put itself in the national spotlight, landing among the 2026 semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award, which goes to college football’s top line unit.
The Blue Devils’ front has been one of the steadiest groups in the country this season. Duke is tied for second nationally in fewest sacks allowed with 4.0 and is tied for third in sack yards lost at 27.
The four sacks allowed have come one each at Illinois, on an intentional grounding against North Carolina, at Virginia and at NC State. In six conference games, Duke has given up only 3.0 sacks, tied for the third fewest nationally.
That protection has also shown up in the run game. Duke is tied for 15th nationally and second in the ACC in fewest tackles for loss allowed with 33.0, and it ranks sixth in the country in fewest yards lost on TFLs with 84.
The line’s work has helped fuel Nate Sheppard’s breakout season. The Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist has piled up 1,189 rushing yards at 6.23 yards per carry and 17 touchdowns, while also adding 32 catches for 306 yards and four scores.
Behind that blocking, Sheppard enters the weekend leading all FBS student-athletes in points per game at 14.00, total points scored with 126, total touchdowns scored with 21 and plays from scrimmage of 10-plus yards with 49. He also ranks second in rushing yards per game at 132.11 and rushing yards, third in all-purpose yards per game at 166.11 and fourth in rushing touchdowns.
Duke, 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the ACC, heads to No. 5 Miami, 8-1 and 6-0 in the league, on Saturday for a noon kickoff on ABC.
The Joe Moore Award honors Joe Moore, who is widely considered one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history for his work at Notre Dame and Pittsburgh. Over 18 seasons, Moore sent 52 players to the NFL, including Bill Fralic, Mark May, Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert and others.
The award’s trophy, created by sculptor Jerry McKenna, is the biggest in college football. It stands 6 feet tall, weighs 800 pounds and stays with the winning school until the end of the next college football season.
In Other News...
Duke Heads Into Regionals With Both NCAA Hopes On The Line
The Duke cross country teams head to the 2026 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships on Friday at the University of South Carolina Upstate with a familiar kind of pressure, as both the men and women are still chasing spots in the NCAA Championships. The womens 6k race is set for 10 a.m., followed by the mens 10k at 11, and the meet will serve as the final gatekeeper before the national stage in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Nov. 21.
For Duke, the regional is about more than just one good day on the course. The article lays out the key athletes on both squads and the path each team must navigate to keep its season alive, with qualification hinging on how they stack up against a deep Southeast field. By the end of Friday, the Blue Devils should know whether both programs have done enough to extend their postseason run. [Read more 🡒]
Daniel Jones Sounds Frustrated As His NFL Comeback Takes Another Turn
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Even so, Jones is not sounding like a quarterback ready to wave off the season before it starts. He still believes the roster can compete, which matters with his two-year extension already in place and his long-term future in Indianapolis still unsettled beyond this year. For now, though, the comeback story is being shaped by a changing supporting cast as much as by Jones own rehab. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Recruiting Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Expected
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But the next wave is where things get interesting, because Duke has been active with several top 2028 prospects as well, including five-star point guard Josiah Rose, who has drawn attention from multiple programs and already taken unofficial visits to SMU. The Blue Devils have also offered Colton Hiller, Yann Kamagate, Mason Collins and Brady Pettigrew, and with some of those names potentially moving up to 2027, the board could shift quickly in ways that make this recruiting picture a lot less settled than it first appeared. [Read more 🡒]