Duke’s 2026 opener was supposed to be a clean start, but it ended up looking a lot messier than the final score suggested.
The Blue Devils beat Tulane 17-3 at Wallace Wade Stadium, a game that didn’t even get underway until 5:00 pm ET after weather pushed back the original 3:30 pm ET kickoff. Duke also went into the night without Charlotte transfer wide receiver Javen Nicholas, who was ruled out shortly before kickoff for undisclosed reasons.
Even with the win, there was plenty to sort through. Some parts of Duke’s roster looked ready. Others looked like they need a lot more work.
The clearest bright spot was Nate Sheppard, who basically carried the offense on his back. The sophomore running back handled 11 carries on Duke’s opening offensive drive alone, a 17-play march that set the tone early. By halftime, he had already piled up 19 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown.
That kind of workload says plenty about where this offense is headed. In the preseason ranking of Duke football’s top 30 players, Sheppard was placed No. 1, and this opener did nothing to change the belief that he’ll be the team’s best player in 2026.
On the other side of the ball, Nick Morris Jr. looked like a major factor in his return after missing most of the 2025 season with a leg injury. The sixth-year player tied for the team lead with six total tackles, added 0.5 TFL, and came away with a fumble recovery.
He was part of a linebacker group that looked encouraging overall. Luke Mergott, Kendall Johnson, Bradley Gompers, and Morris together gave Duke a unit that could be one of the ACC’s better groups.
There was also a small but notable positive in the passing game: Jonah Burton. The Idaho State transfer didn’t generate much preseason buzz, but he seemed to be one of Walker Eget’s preferred targets. Burton entered the game as a co-starter on Duke’s first official depth chart alongside Nicholas, and with Nicholas unavailable, he led the Blue Devils in receiving with three catches for 38 yards.
Still, the night belonged to the struggles. Eget, the San Jose State transfer, had a rough first outing in a Duke uniform.
He looked uncomfortable in the first half and missed at least two or three chances at touchdowns. Duke even turned to redshirt freshman Dan Mahan for a few snaps early in the fourth quarter and again in the final minute and change.
Mahan only attempted one pass, but the move said enough about how the staff viewed Eget’s debut. His starting job could already be in jeopardy.
Jared Richardson also left the opener without the kind of impact many expected. He was projected all offseason to become Duke’s top wide receiver, but he didn’t record a catch against Tulane. The passing game as a whole has a long way to go, and Richardson’s resume still makes him the most proven receiver on the roster.
Kimari Robinson’s night was another disappointment. The redshirt junior came back to Duke with a chance to win a starting cornerback role, but he didn’t seem to have a major role in this game.
He was listed as a backup to Kyon Loud on the depth chart, and Loud played well in the opener. Robinson finished without a tackle, and he may have work to do before he becomes a steady piece of the defense.
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Offensively, though, Duke will have to make do without one of the newcomers the staff had hoped would help right away. Nicholas, the former Charlotte transfer expected to give the Blue Devils a boost, will not play in the game for unspecified reasons, leaving a little more pressure on the rest of the group to carry the opener. [Read more 🡒]
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Dukes Season Opener Brought Early Relief Fans Needed
A weather delay only stretched the anticipation at Wallace Wade Stadium, but Duke football settled in quickly once the game finally got underway. The Blue Devils opened their season with a 17-3 win over Tulane, leaning on a defense that held the Green Wave scoreless in the first half and an offense that found enough rhythm to ease some early nerves around a new year.
The biggest lift came from a ground game that controlled the tempo and a quarterback making his first Duke appearance, giving the opener a steadier feel than plenty of fans might have expected. Duke added a late touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the result away, a welcome start for a team looking for a cleaner launch than the weather forecast first suggested. [Read more 🡒]