The biggest question hanging over Duke heading into 2026 is still the one under center.
Manny Diaz and his staff thought they had the position settled after a 2025 season that ended with the Blue Devils’ first ACC Championship victory since 1989. Then Darian Mensah made a late move to the portal and wound up at Miami, forcing Duke back into the market for a new starter.
That search led the Blue Devils to San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, a quarterback who has flashed real ability but still has plenty to prove against ACC competition. And if Sports Illustrated’s latest quarterback rankings are any indication, Duke fans probably won’t feel much better about the situation.
Zach Koons ranked every Power Four starting quarterback from No. 68 to No. 1, and Eget landed at No. 59.
"The Blue Devils could have had a player in the top five of this list, so it has to be discouraging to see Eget land this far down. And that’s not to say that there aren’t elements to like about his game. Eget doesn’t take sacks (tied for the fewest among QBs with more than 150 pass attempts last season) and had a six-game stretch where he threw 15 touchdowns without an interception," Koons said.
"But he also went 1-5 in games where he attempted more than 40 passes and turned the ball over 11 times (after throwing 10 interceptions in seven starts in 2024)."
Eget arrives with a strong arm and some production on his résumé. In two seasons as San Jose State’s starter, the California native threw for 5,555 yards, 30 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. The upside is obvious, but the turnover numbers are just as hard to ignore.
That’s why the pressure on Eget may be heavier than on anyone else on Duke’s roster this fall. He’s not just filling a vacancy at the most important spot on the field - he’s also replacing the ACC’s best quarterback from 2025, a departure Duke never expected.
How quickly Diaz is willing to lean on someone else, including Dan Mahan, if Eget stumbles will be worth watching. For Duke, though, the path forward is pretty clear: a lot of what happens in 2026 depends on how fast Eget adjusts to Power Conference football.
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The Blue Devils also added help through the portal with Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski and John Blackwell, giving the roster a little more depth around a core that already knows how to defend at a high level. Dame Sarr, in particular, is drawing attention as one of the better wing defenders in the country, which is the kind of edge that can matter once the calendar flips to March and every possession starts to feel like a test. [Read more 🡒]