Duke’s 2-0 start has plenty to do with Nate Sheppard, and the sophomore running back is looking more and more like a real Doak Walker Award candidate.
Through two games in the 2026 season, Sheppard has been the engine of the Blue Devils’ offense. He has piled up 227 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries, while also adding three catches for 19 yards. His Week 2 outing against Illinois pushed the case even further: 147 yards and a touchdown on the ground, plus five receptions for 41 yards and two more scores through the air.
That kind of production has already put Sheppard among the best backs in the country, and Duke is going to keep leaning on him as it tries to win a second straight ACC Title. If he keeps this pace up, the Doak Walker Award - given to the nation’s top running back - is firmly in play.
The jump from his freshman season has been obvious. In 2025, Sheppard rushed for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns on 200 carries and added 37 receptions for 286 yards and a touchdown. Now, in his second year, he looks even more dangerous, especially as a receiver.
That matters even more with star quarterback Darian Mensah gone to the Miami Hurricanes. Duke has turned to Walker Eget, whose start has been uneven so far. He has completed 28 of 47 passes for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions, then looked sharper in Week 2 by going 15 of 21 for 206 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Sheppard’s reliability should help take some of the heat off Eget and give the quarterback room to settle in. It also gives Duke more ways to attack defenses, because the running back is no longer just a downhill threat - he’s a legitimate part of the passing game too.
Manny Diaz has Duke in the thick of the ACC race again, even after losing Mensah in the transfer portal. And if the Blue Devils are going to keep winning, Sheppard figures to be right at the center of it. He’s their best offensive weapon, and the rushing game is going to be the backbone.
In Other News...
Duke Just Won The Kind Of Road Test Fans Have Been Waiting For
For a program looking to prove it could handle a hostile road setting, this was the kind of response Duke needed. The Blue Devils knocked off Illinois 31-27 by taking control in the games middle stretch, turning a tight contest into one they could manage with sharper execution and more poise than they showed early. Walker Eget was a big part of that turnaround, and Nate Sheppard kept the pressure on with two touchdown catches as Duke found ways to make the critical plays when the game was still hanging in the balance.
What stood out most was how the Blue Devils handled the swings in momentum after the opening frustration. Eget settled in after a rough start and delivered a much cleaner night, while Sheppards late fourth-down conversion helped close the door on Illinois comeback chances. For Duke, the bigger question now is whether this was a one-off road success or the start of a team that can keep winning this way when the environment gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Eget May Have Just Changed Dukes Whole Season
Walker Egets first road start for Duke looked like the kind of step forward that can alter a season. After a shakier season-opening outing against Tulane, the quarterback looked far more settled at Illinois, finishing 15 of 21 for 206 yards and three touchdowns as the Blue Devils found enough offense to stay in control of a tough road game.
The afternoon did bring a tense moment late, when Eget went down in the fourth quarter and briefly left with an injury scare. Duke still closed out a 31-27 victory, and even with the uncertainty hanging over the final stretch, the bigger takeaway was hard to miss: Egets growth gave the Blue Devils a different look than they had a week earlier. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Suddenly Looks Capable Of Much More Than A 2-0 Start
Dukes 31-27 road win over Illinois did more than move the Blue Devils to 2-0. It gave the program a result that looked sturdier than a typical early-season upset, with Walker Eget throwing for 206 yards and three touchdowns while Nate Sheppard kept piling up production in every direction and helped Duke control enough of the game to leave Champaign with a statement win.
The bigger concern, at least for anyone watching the final minutes, came when Eget had to be helped off the field late in the fourth quarter. Duke has already shown it can survive a tight game away from home, but the next step is learning whether the offense can keep its momentum if the quarterbacks status becomes part of the conversation after what was otherwise the kind of performance that makes a 2-0 start feel like the beginning of something more. [Read more 🡒]