Duke and North Carolina are heading into 2026 with a lot of the same problem hanging over both programs: quarterback uncertainty.
That’s the common thread between two teams taking very different routes into the season. Duke is trying to steady itself after a wave of departures through the transfer portal and the NFL Draft left Manny Diaz and his staff scrambling to patch holes, all while coming off a conference championship win that doesn’t appear to have created huge expectations. UNC, meanwhile, is trying to rebound after Bill Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in ACC play.
Even with talent spread across both rosters, the biggest question for each side sits right at the top of the depth chart.
Duke lost Darian Mensah, who was arguably the best quarterback in the ACC last season, when he transferred to Miami. North Carolina also had to replace its starter, with Gio Lopez leaving for Wake Forest after leading the Tar Heels in 2025.
Both programs brought in new faces to handle the job, but the answers aren’t exactly settled in the same way. Belichick and his staff have already picked Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards Jr. as their Week 0 starter against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29.
Edwards had looked like the favorite for most of fall camp, though the competition never disappeared completely. Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill made a late push, and 4-star freshman Travis Burgess had a case too, even as a true freshman.
So Carolina enters the opener with its quarterback decision made. Duke does not.
In Durham, the battle is still alive between San Jose State transfer Walker Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan, and Diaz has yet to name a starter.
That leaves both schools in a familiar-looking spot for 2026: not just looking for production at quarterback, but potentially needing to adjust if the first choice doesn’t hold up. O’Neill flashed in camp and could still force his way into the job if Edwards stumbles, and the same kind of shift could happen for Duke no matter which quarterback Diaz and Co. eventually choose.
In Other News...
Duke Defense Has One Problem It Cannot Repeat This Season
Dukes defense had enough bright spots to keep the season from feeling like a complete collapse, but third downs were a glaring weak point all year. Opponents converted 45.4% of their chances in 2025, a number that placed the Blue Devils near the bottom of the FBS and made too many drives feel like slow-motion breakdowns instead of routine stops. Even with some encouraging turnover production, the overall profile never quite matched the kind of defense Duke needed to climb in the ACC.
The problems were especially evident in games where the breakdowns kept compounding, including the Virginia matchup when the Cavaliers turned 12 of 19 third downs into fresh life. Those kinds of possessions are the ones that swing field position, drain a defense and turn a decent outing into a frustrating one, and Duke finished 14th in the conference with too many of them. If the Blue Devils want a cleaner season ahead, third-down defense is the first place the fix has to show up. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Biggest Camp Question Still Has No Clear Answer
Dukes 2026 training camp has already offered a pretty clear glimpse of what this team wants to be. The running back room looks deeper than it has in a while, with Nate Sheppard leading the way and Jayvian Tanelus and CJ Campbell both turning heads, while the defense has flashed the kind of disruptive play that shows up in sacks and tackles for loss and can shape an entire seasons identity.
Even with those pieces settling into place, the biggest question in camp is still unresolved. Walker Eget and Dan Mahan are battling for the starting quarterback job, and there does not appear to be any announcement coming soon, which leaves Duke in the familiar place of waiting on the one position that tends to define everything else around it. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Is Leaning On One Veteran As Its New Offense Takes Shape
Duke heads into the 2026 season with a lot of unfamiliar faces around a roster that changed sharply after its ACC championship run, and that makes the return of tight end Jeremiah Hasley especially important. After a productive 2025 campaign, Hasley has emerged as one of the few proven pieces in an offense still taking shape, and his presence in fall camp has helped set the tone for a group that needs steady leadership as it adjusts to a new look.
The challenge now is bigger than simply replacing departed production. Dukes receiving room is being rebuilt with transfers and players still trying to establish themselves, which puts more pressure on Hasley to be a reliable option as the offense sorts itself out. If the Blue Devils are going to settle into a rhythm early, it may start with the veteran tight end becoming one of the primary targets and the stabilizing force this new group can lean on. [Read more 🡒]