Duke’s offense is still very much under construction, but one of the clearest early developments from camp may have come at wide receiver.
The Blue Devils enter the 2026 regular season with plenty left to sort out after major roster turnover changed the outlook for the program following the 2025 season. Manny Diaz and his staff are still piecing together a depth chart that, on both sides of the ball, features several open competitions.
The quarterback job remains unsettled, and the secondary is also in flux. But the receiver room may be where the first real separation has shown up.
Penn transfer Jared Richardson and Charlotte transfer Javen Nicholas are generally expected to be Duke’s top two wideouts. The third spot, though, is still up for grabs.
Among the young returners in the mix, Jaivon Solomon, Jamien Little, and Jayden Moore have emerged as the strongest candidates. Moore is the only one of the three who recorded a catch in a game last season, finishing with seven receptions for 42 yards.
Solomon may have taken the early lead in that battle. The redshirt freshman stood out in Duke’s first scrimmage last week, grabbing three passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns. The Blue Devils had four receiving touchdowns in all, and Solomon accounted for half of them.
It’s still early, and Duke has another scrimmage this weekend, but Solomon’s performance could have given him a real foothold in the race for a starting role in Durham.
Even with Richardson and Nicholas projected as the top two options, the overall group remains untested. Richardson was a standout over four seasons at Penn, while Nicholas was the top receiver on a 1-11 Charlotte team in 2025, but neither has yet produced at the Power Conference level.
And whoever wins the third receiver job will still be an unproven piece. That matters because Duke’s offense was the ACC’s best last season, finishing first in the league in points per game at 34.6 and total touchdowns with 63. The Blue Devils also lost their top three receivers from that team, so the new faces and younger holdovers will have to deliver if the offense is going to stay productive.
Quarterback remains another major question. San Jose State transfer Walker Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan are battling for the starting job, and Diaz’s staff does not appear to be in a hurry to make a call.
For now, the biggest takeaway is simple: Jonathan Brewer has the challenge of rebuilding an offense that was elite a year ago, and Duke is still waiting to see which new pieces can carry that load as the Blue Devils try to defend their conference title crown.
In Other News...
Duke Just Got A Break In A Roster Fight That Isn't Over
A new layer has been added to the college basketball eligibility fight, and it could matter for teams still sorting out late roster pieces. The Tenth Circuit Court granted the NCAA a stay on an earlier ruling that had opened the door for certain 2022 seniors to claim a fifth season of eligibility, putting those players back in limbo while the appeal process plays out.
For Duke, the broader takeaway is that the roster market is still unsettled, and the path forward for affected players is now more complicated. Players such as Louisville's Seth Trimble and Florida's Denzel Aberdeen are among those caught by the stay and must pursue their own waivers to get back on the floor, while further legal challenges remain possible as the NCAA continues to defend its position. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Biggest Transfer Pressure Points Are Suddenly Hard To Ignore
With Duke still piecing together its 2026 starting lineup ahead of the opener against Tulane, Manny Diazs roster work has turned the spotlight on the transfer class in a hurry. The Blue Devils brought in players to compete for jobs that matter most, and the battles at quarterback, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are shaping up as some of the biggest camp questions on the roster.
Eget, Braden Miller and Wafle all enter the picture with the kind of expectations that come with being added to fill immediate needs, and each one now has a chance to claim a starting role before the season begins. For Duke, the intrigue is not just whether those transfers can win their spots, but how quickly they can settle in and help a team trying to line up its best version before meaningful football arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes 2027 Plan May Hint At A Bigger Jon Scheyer Vision
Dukes early work in the 2027 recruiting class is already offering a glimpse at how Jon Scheyer may want to shape the roster a few years down the line. The Blue Devils have extended scholarship offers to several prospects in that group, including four-star forward Asa Montgomery, who has also lined up an official visit, and the profile of the targets suggests a clear preference for versatile wing players who can cover multiple spots.
The timing matters because Dukes planning is being done with an eye on the NCAAs new age-based eligibility model, which could affect the future of current guards Caleb Foster and John Blackwell. If those possibilities hold, the Blue Devils may be building not just for the next cycle, but for a 2027-28 roster that could still feature some familiar backcourt pieces alongside a new wave of perimeter talent. [Read more 🡒]