Duke’s bye week comes at a good time for a team that has already put together a 4-0 start and shown steady week-to-week growth under Manny Diaz.
The Blue Devils have handled the early part of the 2026 regular season with relative ease, aside from a close road win over Illinois. Duke is now one of three undefeated ACC teams, joining Miami and Pittsburgh, and the last two games before the break were especially convincing. The Blue Devils rolled past Stanford and William & Mary by a combined 97-14, a stretch that opened the door for younger players to get more meaningful snaps.
That extra run is where a few names started to stand out.
At receiver, Duke still looks like a room where the hot hand can change from week to week. Idaho State transfer Jonah Burton has led the team in receiving in three of the first four games, but the younger options have started to make their case too.
Redshirt freshman Solomon, who flashed during fall camp, hadn’t made much of a dent in the 2026 season until the past two games. In that span, he posted five catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. He may not become a central piece right away, but his recent production gives him a chance to earn more work once ACC play ramps up.
Another young receiver who has taken advantage of the extra opportunities is redshirt freshman Kavon Simmons. He has only three receptions on the season, but they’ve gone for 59 yards and a score, and that kind of efficiency matters in a wide-open depth chart. With Duke carrying plenty of receiving depth, rotation could be a season-long theme, and Simmons has shown he can handle his share of it.
The defensive line has produced its own young player worth tracking. Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Julius Columbus has already seen regular action this season, and over the last two games he added five total tackles. Duke has depth in the trenches as well, and Columbus looks like one of the young pieces who could keep popping up more often as league play moves along.
In Other News...
Duke Defense Faces Its Biggest Identity Test Yet At Georgia Tech
A bye week often gives a coaching staff time to sharpen the details, and for Jonathan Patke, Dukes defensive coordinator, it has also meant reinforcing something less tangible: the soul of the unit. The Blue Devils have taken real steps forward on defense this season, sitting near the top nationally in scoring and total defense, and Manny Diaz has pointed to the groups cohesion and its ability to keep opponents from generating easy chunk gains as a major reason.
Georgia Tech brings a different kind of test after making changes on offense, with a new play caller and a new quarterback steering the operation. For Duke, the matchup is less about matching stats than proving its identity holds up when the pictures change, the pace shifts and the game asks the defense to communicate on the fly. The next step for this unit is about whether those improvements still look the same when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Undefeated Duke Faces Another Chance To Prove This Start Is Real
Duke heads into its conference trip to Georgia Tech with an undefeated record and a growing sense that this start is more than a hot spell. Manny Diaz has made clear the Blue Devils know what is waiting in Atlanta, where winning is rarely simple and respect for the opponent is part of the preparation. So far, Duke has leaned on a strong defense and a balanced offense, with transfer quarterback Walker Eget and running back Nate Sheppard helping steady the attack.
Georgia Tech comes in off a bye looking for a reset after a difficult season, and Brent Keys team will try to build around first-year starter Alberto Mendoza. For Duke, the broader question is not just whether it can stay unbeaten, but whether it can keep answering the same test on the road, against a team still searching for traction and a setting that has made this matchup tricky before. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Frontcourt May Hinge On One Underrated Newcomer
Jon Scheyer keeps circling back to Drew Scharnowski as one of the more intriguing pieces in Dukes offseason haul, and not just because the Belmont transfer arrives with a reputation for bringing size and versatility to the frontcourt. The Blue Devils are trying to sort out a rotation that can hold up once games start counting, and Scharnowskis presence was always going to matter because of how he fits with returning big man Patrick Ngongba and the younger forwards trying to earn minutes.
For now, though, Duke is waiting. Scharnowski is dealing with a knee injury and will not be available for the exhibition against Belmont, which at least delays the first look at how the frontcourt might take shape. Scheyer has indicated the two big men could share the floor often, and there is even a path for Scharnowski to push into the starting mix, a development that would not only change the look of Dukes lineup but also ease the pressure on freshmen Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Cameron Williams as they learn on the fly. [Read more 🡒]