Duke’s path back to the top of the ACC may run straight through Jonathan Patke.
After losing a pile of key starters and headline players in the offseason, the Blue Devils suddenly look a lot less like a team built to push deeper into conference favorite territory and a lot more like one trying to figure out whether seven wins is the right bar this fall. That’s the backdrop for a season that already feels delicate, even with Manny Diaz having put together back-to-back nine-win seasons and a conference championship since taking over for Mike Elko two years ago.
The offense is still in flux as Jonathan Brewer continues to shape what it can become, but the real anchor for Duke could be on the other side of the ball. Diaz has always valued defense, and this year the Blue Devils may need that side of the game to carry them.
That’s where Patke enters the picture. The defensive coordinator could end up being the quiet difference-maker for a roster that leaned on a wildly productive offense in 2025, when former quarterback Darian Mensah and freshman running back Nate Sheppard drove the attack.
This time, Duke’s defense has to raise its level, and the numbers from last season leave plenty of room for that to happen. The Blue Devils finished 98th in scoring defense, 132nd in passing yards per game and 66th against the run.
There are reasons to think a jump is coming. Duke brings back what the piece describes as a top-shelf linebacker unit in the ACC, and that group gives Patke a strong foundation to work with.
The defense also has a chance to get better against the pass with sophomore safety Andrew Pellicciotta and star 2025 recruit edge rusher Bryce Davis expected to play major roles. Davis, in particular, carries serious expectations and could develop into one of the league’s biggest forces.
Patke and Diaz have already done this together before. The two worked side by side at Miami and are now reunited in Durham, trying to help Duke take another step after last December’s conference title. With the linebacker room in place, young players ready to emerge and the secondary expected to hold up its end, Patke may be the most important assistant on the staff.
If Duke is going to get back into the ACC race and make another run down I-85 to defend its crown, the defense will likely have to lead the way. And if that happens, Patke’s fingerprints will be all over it.
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 🡒]