Matt Craycraft didn’t leave much to the imagination when Duke opened fall camp. The Blue Devils are still sorting out their quarterback battle, but the offense’s direction already looks set.
Whether San Jose State transfer Walker Eget wins the job or sophomore Dan Mahan keeps building on the momentum he showed in the spring, the plan is going to revolve around something else entirely. Duke wants its quarterback to manage the game and let the run do the heavy lifting.
That much was made plain by Craycraft, a veteran center and preseason All-ACC selection who has been a steady anchor for Duke up front. He put it simply: "I think, at the end of the day, we want to run the ball a lot more this year," Craycraft said.
Craycraft has the kind of standing to make that statement carry weight. He’s started 28 games for the Blue Devils, including every game at center over the last two seasons. Duke did lose talent on the offensive line, especially at both tackle spots, but the addition of transfer tackles Nick Del Grande from Coastal Carolina and Braden Smith from Cal gives the front a chance to be a strength.
And then there’s Nate Sheppard.
The sophomore running back gives Duke the kind of backfield weapon that shapes an offense all by himself, and Craycraft didn’t hold back when talking about him. "What doesn't impress you?"
Craycraft said about Sheppard. "He's a really fast kid.
Obviously, he can hit the long ball, but he's a physical player. He runs really hard."
That description fits the way Duke finished last season. Even with Darian Mensah at quarterback, the Blue Devils were at their best when Sheppard became the centerpiece. He topped 20 carries in four straight games to close the year, and Duke won all four of them, including the ACC Championship against Virginia and the Sun Bowl against Arizona State.
The late-season workload told the story in numbers too. Against North Carolina, Sheppard had 22 carries for 90 yards and added one catch for 18 yards.
Against Wake Forest, he ran 23 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns while catching five passes for 60 yards. Against Virginia, he posted 21 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown, plus five receptions for 31 yards.
That’s the template now. In 2026, Sheppard should be the center of almost everything Duke does on offense, and 20-plus carries ought to be the expectation rather than the exception. The quarterback job still matters, but the Blue Devils’ identity does not appear to be in doubt.
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