Duke’s first fall scrimmage didn’t settle many questions, but it did sharpen a few of them.
With the Blue Devils set to open the regular season against Tulane on Sep. 5, Manny Diaz and his staff are still sorting through a roster that has been reworked but is still full of unknowns.
There are battles all over the field, and plenty of spots that still feel up for grabs. The first scrimmage offered the first real glimpse at who is starting to separate.
At wide receiver, the top of the depth chart looks fairly clear, with Penn transfer Jared Richardson and Charlotte transfer Javen Nicholas expected to be Duke’s leading targets this fall. Behind them, though, the WR3 job is wide open. Young returners Jaivon Solomon, Jayden Moore, and Jamien Little are all in the mix, and Solomon may have taken the strongest step so far.
He turned in a strong scrimmage, finishing with three catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Duke’s offense as a whole had four receiving touchdowns, and Solomon was credited with two of them. Moore is the only one of that group who has already caught a pass in a game in 2025, but Solomon’s showing could have put him in position to make a real push for the starting role.
Up front, true sophomore defensive lineman Bryce Davis made his presence felt in a big way. Davis, Duke’s highest-rated recruit in program history according to 247Sports, played a reserve role as a freshman and finished with 10 total tackles and a pass deflection. He is expected to move into a full-time starting job by Week 1, and if this scrimmage was any indication, the breakout could come fast.
Davis was dominant, recording two sacks for losses of seven and six yards. The Blue Devils’ pass rush already has plenty of intrigue, and Davis looks ready to be one of the leaders of that group.
Duke’s run game also gave the staff plenty to sort through. The Blue Devils are likely to lean on the ground attack in 2026, with Nate Sheppard standing out as arguably the team’s best overall player. At the same time, the depth behind him could end up being one of the roster’s real strengths.
Seven different backs logged at least six carries in the scrimmage. Yale transfer Wilhelm Daal II led the group with 12 carries for 62 yards, Rutgers transfer CJ Campbell followed with eight carries for 41 yards, and Sheppard had eight carries for 37 yards. Freshmen Jayvian Tanelus and CJ Givers also got involved, with Tanelus going for eight carries and 48 yards and Givers posting six carries for 25 yards.
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