Duke opens its 2026 season on Sept. 5 against Tulane at Wallace Wade Stadium, and the first game will tell a lot about what kind of team Manny Diaz has on his hands in Year 3 in Durham.
The Blue Devils enter the year as reigning ACC champions for the first time in over 30 years, but there’s no shortage of questions hanging over this group. Talent is scattered across the roster, yet plenty of it still needs to prove itself. That makes Week 1 more than just a tune-up - it’s a first real look at where Duke stands.
The biggest spotlight will be on quarterback Walker Eget. Duke announced earlier this week that the San Jose State transfer will be the starter, which was the expected move.
Still, Eget now has to show he can translate what he did with the Spartans to the ACC. Over two seasons as San Jose State’s starter, he threw for more than 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, but none of that came against Power Conference competition.
His health adds another layer to the equation. Eget was wearing a knee brace throughout fall camp and missed the spring, so there’s at least some uncertainty there before he even takes his first snap for the Blue Devils. If he comes out shaky, the pressure around that position will ramp up quickly.
Defensively, Duke needs to look like the version of itself that showed up in 2024. This could be a season where the Blue Devils have to win with that side of the ball, and the pieces are there for it to happen.
Bryce Davis, a sophomore linebacker, could be ready for a breakout. Nick Morris Jr. and Luke Mergott give Duke what could be one of the ACC’s best linebacker tandems, and the secondary brings depth.
If that unit can hold up for four quarters against Tulane, it would say plenty about Duke’s ceiling.
The other major question is on offense, where the wide receiver room has been turned over after Duke lost its top three wideouts from last season. Penn transfer Jared Richardson and Charlotte transfer Javen Nicholas appear to be the leading options, but the battle for the third starting spot is still open. Jaivon Solomon, Jamien Little, Jayden Moore and Kavon Simmons are all in the mix.
One area Duke does know it can lean on is the backfield. Nate Sheppard is back, and he remains one of the ACC’s best running backs. How Diaz and his staff build the offense around him will be worth watching, especially if the run game ends up carrying a heavy load.
In Other News...
Nick Morris Gives Duke A Comeback Story Fans Will Be Watching
Nick Morris has already built a reputation at Duke as more than just a linebacker. He arrived with a profile that matched production with polish, earning attention for both his athleticism and his academic work, and his path has kept him in the conversation as one of the programs more compelling defenders. The middle linebacker spot has long carried a certain weight in football, and Duke has had its share of notable names there over the years, which only adds to the interest surrounding Morris as he works back into the picture.
What makes his story stand out now is the way he has kept showing up after a pair of major setbacks across the last two seasons. Morris is back on the field and back in the mix as a veteran presence, balancing football with his studies at Fuqua while drawing league-wide notice on the Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List. For Duke, that makes him more than a depth chart note. It makes him a storyline worth following every time he steps on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Morris Could Give Duke A Comeback Story It Desperately Needs
Nick Morris has already lived through the kind of setbacks that can end a players college career, and instead he keeps finding his way back onto the field. The Duke linebacker has battled through major knee injuries in consecutive seasons, yet he has returned to play and remains part of a Blue Devils defense that can use every bit of toughness it can get.
Now a sixth-year player enrolled in Dukes Fuqua School of Business, Morris has found himself on the Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List, a fitting bit of recognition for someone whose path has been anything but straightforward. For Duke, his presence is about more than just depth at linebacker. It is a reminder that there is still room for a late-surging redemption story in a season that could use one. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Attack Looks Even Scarier After Latest Rout
The early-season buzz around Dukes womens soccer attack only grew louder in a 6-0 rout of VCU, a game that turned lopsided almost immediately and left the Blue Devils with a new benchmark for fast starts. Duke set a school record by scoring three goals in the opening 6 minutes, 24 seconds, then kept the pressure on long enough to finish with six different players finding the net and a second clean sheet of the season.
It was also the kind of result that gives a team plenty to build on heading into the heart of the schedule, especially after Duke wrapped non-conference play at 5-0-1. VCU, still searching for its first win, dropped to 0-5-1, while Dukes attack looked deep, sharp and difficult to track from the opening whistle onward. [Read more 🡒]