Duke got a pair of ACC weekly awards after its win at Illinois, with offensive tackle Nick Del Grande and running back Nate Sheppard both earning conference recognition for what they did Saturday.
Del Grande was selected as the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week, while Sheppard repeated as the ACC Running Back of the Week.
Sheppard’s latest honor puts him in rare company. He is the first ACC running back to win the award in back-to-back weeks since Nov. 13 and 20, 2023, when North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton did it.
The Duke back now has four ACC weekly honors in his career - three at running back and one as rookie - which ties him for the sixth-most in Blue Devils history. He also became the first Duke player to win the league’s running back of the week award twice in the same season, and the first Blue Devil to collect the old offensive back honor twice in one season since Anthony Boone in 2013.
On top of that, Sheppard is the first Duke player to earn consecutive ACC Offensive Back of the Week honors since Dave Brown on Sept. 7 and 14, 1991.
His performance at Illinois was a big reason Duke moved to 2-0. Sheppard ran for 147 yards, pushing him to 374 on the season, and he has now topped 100 rushing yards in three straight games, something no Blue Devil had done since Star Thomas in 2024.
He scored on a two-yard run in the second quarter and extended his streak to five straight games with at least one rushing touchdown. By halftime, he had already piled up 104 yards on 12 carries and scored once on the ground and once through the air.
Sheppard finished with five catches for 41 yards and two receiving touchdowns, including scores in the second and third quarters. It was the first time in his career he had multiple touchdown receptions in a game. He also became the first Duke player to record both a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game since Peyton Jones did it at Miami in 2024.
All of that production has made Sheppard the centerpiece of Duke’s offense through two games. He has accounted for 30 of the Blue Devils’ 48 points, which is 62.5% of the team’s scoring. Nationally, he ranks second in rushing yards with 374, first in rushing yards per game at 187.00, fourth in total touchdowns with five and first in all-purpose yards with 434.
Del Grande’s recognition came after a strong showing up front that helped Duke control the game. He opened lanes for Sheppard’s 147-yard day and gave Walker Eget the protection needed to throw a season-high three touchdown passes as Duke snapped Illinois’ 10-game non-conference winning streak. As a unit, Duke’s offensive line limited Illinois to 3.0 tackles for loss and just seven total lost yards, with the Fighting Illini finishing with one sack for a two-yard loss.
The Blue Devils’ offensive front has been one of the nation’s best through two weeks. Duke is tied for third nationally in tackles for loss allowed per game at 1.50 and ranks fourth with only seven total yards lost, behind only Illinois with three, Miami with three and Georgia with six.
Other ACC weekly honors went to Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez, Virginia Tech receiver Luke Reynolds and defensive lineman Mylachi Williams, Boston College linebacker Anthony Palano, Cal defensive back Kingston Lopa, Clemson specialist Nolan Hauser and Miami rookie Javian Mallory.
In Other News...
Manny Diaz Has Duke Looking Like More Than An Early Surprise
A season that began with modest outside expectations has already started to feel different around Duke football. The Blue Devils are 2-0, and the opening two weeks brought a pair of encouraging wins over Tulane and Illinois, two teams that had gotten the better of them a year ago. Under Manny Diaz, Duke has looked sharper on both sides of the ball, with the defense showing real progress and the offense finding helpful contributions from players such as Nate Sheppard.
What makes the start matter is not just the record, but how quickly it has come together after the roster churn of the offseason. Duke lost key players to the Transfer Portal and still walked into September looking more complete than expected, which is a credit to the coaching staff and the way the group has adapted. Walker Eget has also become part of the offensive conversation as the Blue Devils try to turn an early surprise into something sturdier, and the next stretch will say plenty about whether this opening surge is a snapshot or the beginning of a bigger climb. [Read more 🡒]
Nate Sheppard Is Giving Duke Fans A Reason To Believe
Dukes 31-27 win over Illinois pushed the Blue Devils to 2-0 and gave the early part of the season a performance worth circling on the calendar. Nate Sheppard was at the center of it, turning in a game that forced the Illini to reckon with more than just a loss, as Duke found enough balance and burst to hang on in a tight finish.
Afterward, Illinois coach Bret Bielema pointed straight to tackling as the difference, saying his defense needed to do a better job of finishing plays. For Duke, that only adds to the intrigue around Sheppard and an offense that already has one road win and a growing sense that this start may be more than a fast opening burst. [Read more 🡒]
Jon Scheyer Revealed What Duke's Best Players Need Most
Jon Scheyer spent part of a recent podcast appearance talking less about schemes and more about the people who tend to thrive at Duke. The Blue Devils coach said the traits he values in his best players go beyond talent, with a strong support system and a real sense of independence standing out when the pressure rises and mistakes start to pile up. It was the kind of window into how he thinks about building a program, especially with a roster that already has a mix of newcomers, transfers and key returners readying for another run.
That depth is part of what makes Duke such a watchable team heading into the season opener against Army on Nov. 2, because Scheyer appears to have a group that can be shaped in a lot of different ways. He has already put together a deep roster for the upcoming year, and the challenge now is not simply finding enough talent but figuring out which players can handle the responsibility that comes with it. Scheyers comments suggested the Blue Devils are looking for more than production, and the real test may come in how that balance holds once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]