Duke heads into its bye week with plenty working in its favor, and the clearest sign of that is how complete this team has looked through four games. The Blue Devils are 4-0, one of four ACC teams still unbeaten alongside Pittsburgh, Miami, and Virginia Tech, and they’ve gotten better with each outing. Under Manny Diaz, this is shaping up as the most balanced Duke team yet.
The quarterback picture got even more encouraging in the 62-7 win over William & Mary. Starter Walker Eget was efficient in limited work, going 16-of-22 for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
Then redshirt freshman Dan Mahan took over and made the most of his first real extended college action, completing 6-of-7 passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns while adding two carries for 13 yards. Eget has done enough to hold the job as long as he stays healthy, but Mahan’s showing gave Duke a clear glimpse of what could be coming next.
True freshman Terry Walker III also got his first taste of college football, finishing 2-of-4 for 44 yards.
The backfield remains the engine of this offense. Nate Sheppard, even on just nine carries, ripped off 116 yards and a touchdown, averaging 12.9 yards per attempt against the FCS opponent.
CJ Campbell added nine carries for 41 yards. Duke also got valuable snaps for its younger backs in a blowout setting, with true freshmen CJ Givers and Jayvian Tanelus both finding the end zone.
Givers had three carries for 36 yards and his first college score, while Tanelus posted nine carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. Yale transfer Wilhelm Daal chipped in three carries for seven yards.
At receiver, Duke still hasn’t settled on a clear-cut No. 1 option, but the group is producing enough to keep the offense moving. Jonah Burton led the team in receiving for the third time in four weeks with five catches for 63 yards.
Jeremiah Hasley continues to look like the most reliable pass-catcher on the roster; he had only three catches for 18 yards against William & Mary, but he’s tied with Burton for the team lead with 13 receptions and leads the team with 195 receiving yards. Five Blue Devils also caught their first career touchdowns in Duke colors: Jaivon Solomon, Jared Richardson, Jayden Moore, Brody Keefe, and Kavon Simmons.
Nate Kurisky finished with two catches for 21 yards, and Jake Taylor added two receptions for 17 yards.
Up front, the offensive line has kept things stable. Duke is staying healthy enough there to make life easier on everyone else, and the results show it: Eget has been sacked only once this season, and the backs are consistently finding room to run.
Defensively, the numbers from the William & Mary game point to a group that keeps getting sharper. Duke recorded four sacks and nine tackles for loss while holding the Tribe to 17 rushing yards and just 3-for-13 on third down. The front seven looks deep, and that depth should matter even more once ACC play ramps up.
Nick Morris Jr. has been one of the early bright spots on that side of the ball. The sixth-year player, back after missing most of the 2025 season with a leg injury, added three tackles and now leads the team with 23 total tackles. Elliott Schaper and Luke Mergott also finished with three tackles apiece.
The secondary entered the season as a major question, but Duke’s transfer additions have helped settle that down. Kyon Loud, who came from Montana, and Dylan Flowers, a Western Kentucky transfer, continue to be productive pieces, and William & Mary was limited to 153 passing yards and 170 total yards overall. That’s a strong sign for a pass defense that looks improved from 2025.
In Other News...
Dukes Title Hype Now Rests On One Huge Early Test
CBS Sports latest early Top 25 and 1 keeps Duke right near the top of the preseason conversation, and that feels fitting for a roster built to win big from the start. The Blue Devils bring back four of their top six scorers from last seasons Elite Eight run, then layered in a strong recruiting class headlined by several five-star prospects and a transfer from Wisconsin. It is the kind of mix that fuels real optimism in Durham, especially when a team has already shown it can survive deep into March.
Still, the appeal of this group may be decided long before ACC play settles in. Dukes non-conference slate is loaded with heavyweight matchups that will quickly show whether the talent translates into immediate cohesion, and the calendar does the Blue Devils no favors. If this team is going to justify the buzz around it, the early stretch is going to have to look a lot less like a measuring stick and a lot more like a launchpad. [Read more 🡒]
Former Duke Stars New Start In LA Just Hit A Worrying Snag
Brandon Ingrams new chapter in Los Angeles has already run into trouble before it really gets underway. After stops in Toronto and with the Lakers earlier in his career, the former Duke standout was traded to the Clippers this offseason, but he is now dealing with a partially torn Achilles tendon and recent heel surgery that cloud the beginning of his time with his new team.
Kon Knueppels situation adds another layer of concern for Duke fans keeping tabs on the NBA. The young Blue Devils product is expected to miss the entire preseason with a hamstring injury, and his availability for the regular-season opener is also in doubt, leaving two familiar names on the sidelines as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Is Already Forcing A CFP Debate Nobody Saw Coming
Dukes undefeated start has already turned into something bigger than a feel-good opening run, because the Blue Devils are doing it in a way that forces people to rethink how far a strong September can carry in the College Football Playoff race. The rushing attack has been the engine, the schedule still has plenty of ACC games ahead, and for now the conversation is less about whether Duke belongs in the picture and more about how long it can keep forcing its way into it.
Heather Dinichs latest bubble watch only sharpened that tension, with Duke still on the outside of the projected field while Miami stands as the leagues lone expected entrant. Nate Sheppard has given the Blue Devils a legitimate weekly hammer on offense, but the real test is coming as the ACC slate tightens and the team tries to turn a hot start into something the playoff committee can no longer ignore. [Read more 🡒]