Duke’s fall camp is going to be shaped by a handful of jobs that still aren’t settled, and Manny Diaz knows it. Even with the offseason noise around Darian Mensah, this is still a roster with real pieces, led by an elite RB in Nate Sheppard and a veteran offensive line. The Blue Devils may not be built to repeat as ACC champions, but they are not heading into 2026 as an easy opponent.
The biggest question, naturally, sits at quarterback. Duke brought in experienced graduate transfer Walker Eget from San Jose State after Mensah’s late departure, and plenty of people have already assumed he’ll take the first snap.
Diaz hasn’t gone there. He has kept sophomore Dan Mahan firmly in the mix, and Mahan’s spring mattered.
With Eget sidelined, Mahan handled a full run of first-team reps and used that time to strengthen his case. Eget still looks like the likely winner when this all shakes out, but Diaz has made it clear this is not a done deal.
There’s also a real competition brewing in the secondary, and Diaz isn’t pretending otherwise. He said after practice on Wednesday, "There are no jobs claimed in the secondary, so everybody understands that every time there's a ball thrown, someone has a chance to earn playing time this year," Diaz said after practice on Wednesday.
That open-door approach makes sense given how important pass defense improvement is for Duke in 2026. The Blue Devils added Che Ojarikre from Stanford, Dylan Flowers and Patrick Smith-Young from Western Kentucky, and Evan Smith from Northwestern, while also bringing back Kimari Robinson, Landan Callahan, and DaShawn Stone.
Duke does return three starters back there, but Diaz clearly wants every spot earned.
At receiver, the Blue Devils already have two transfer additions who should change the room quickly in Penn’s Jared Richardson and Charlotte’s Javen Nicholas. The more interesting battle is for the third starting spot.
Jaivon Solomon, Jamien Little, and Jayden Moore are all pushing for bigger roles, while freshman Brody Keefe turned heads in spring practice and is the sleeper in the mix. Solomon and Little seem likeliest to open the season in that WR3 role, but Keefe has a path to taking it at some point during the year.
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Dukes next step in 2026 may hinge less on wholesale change than on three players the program is already counting on to grow into bigger jobs. Transfer receiver Jared Richardson arrives from Penn with the clearest path to becoming the top option in the passing game, while the Blue Devils also expect the front to be strengthened by defensive lineman Davis, the highest-rated recruit in school history, who is projected to start right away.
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Inside the program, the early signs have been encouraging. Players have spoken about the energy around the group and the work being done to get ready for preseason and the regular season, but that optimism comes with a challenge attached. With so many bodies in the mix, Dukes next step is less about finding talent than figuring out how it all fits, and that battle is only just beginning. [Read more 🡒]