Duke’s unbeaten start has given Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils plenty to feel good about during the bye week, and a few names have stood out in ways that weren’t easy to predict before the season.
Diaz is now 22-9 at Duke, and with the way this team has opened, another nine-win run is at least in play. That would put the program in position for its most successful stretch ever, and a big reason for the momentum is that several players have taken real leaps in the first four games.
At cornerback, Flowers has stepped into the spot once occupied by former Blue Devils standout defensive back Chandler Rivers and looks like Duke’s top option on the outside. He hasn’t forced a turnover yet, but his value shows up everywhere else. He’s been dependable in coverage, tough enough to travel with opposing playmakers and willing to throw himself into run support.
Some of Flowers’ tackles bring to mind Rivers, and as Duke gets ready for more explosive offenses and better pass-catchers, the Western Kentucky transfer figures to be leaned on even more.
On offense, Jonah Burton has emerged as one of the team’s most useful weapons after arriving with far less attention than some other transfers. The former Baylor wide receiver has the build of a running back, and that shows up once the ball is in his hands. He breaks tackles after the catch, and his quickness and short-area burst help him separate early and get open for quarterback Walker Eget.
Duke has plenty of receiver depth, but Burton has become an important piece in Jonathan Brewer’s offense. With ACC play beginning next week against Georgia Tech, he should keep drawing targets.
Then there’s Nate Sheppard, whose early-season surge has been the biggest surprise of all. Through four games, he has produced far more than anyone expected and has already forced his way into the early Heisman Trophy conversation.
Sheppard has gone from a pleasant surprise to Duke’s best player, and maybe one of the best the program has seen in recent memory. His production has been eye-opening, especially because he is still a year away from draft eligibility. For Duke, it’s the kind of unexpected star turn that can change the feel of an entire season.
In Other News...
Dukes Loaded Roster Faces One Question That Could Define The Season
Duke enters the season with the kind of roster that usually makes opposing coaches uneasy and beat writers busy. Seniors Caleb Foster and John Blackwell are back, junior Patrick Ngongba II returns, and freshmen Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr add even more talent to a group already defined by size and depth. There are multiple players on hand who can credibly take meaningful minutes, which is part of what makes this team so intriguing before the games even start.
The question is how that abundance gets managed once the schedule tightens and the stakes rise. Deep college basketball teams are rare, and even the most talented ones often have to narrow things down when the pressure mounts, which is why Dukes rotation will be one of the defining storylines of the season. The talent is obvious; the challenge is deciding how much of it can actually fit when the biggest moments arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Bye Week Could Reshape The ACC Race Fast
Duke heads into its bye week at 4-0, sitting among a small group of unbeaten ACC teams after stacking up wins over Illinois, Tulane, Stanford and William & Mary. For a program trying to stay relevant in a conference that still feels wide open, the timing matters almost as much as the record, because the Blue Devils can watch the rest of the league shift around them without having to take a snap.
North Carolinas home game against No. 3 Notre Dame adds another layer to the league picture, while Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech both enter the week at 4-0 and are positioned to meet the same kind of pressure Duke is temporarily avoiding. When the dust settles, one of those unbeaten ACC peers will have been forced into a tougher spot in the standings, and Dukes quiet week could end up feeling a lot more important than it looks right now. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Opens With One Big Test For Both Programs
Duke swimming and diving will get its 2026-27 season underway Friday at 5 p.m. against Davidson, a meet that offers an early look at where both programs stand after a strong spring. The women finished tied for 21st at last seasons NCAA Championships, while the men ended up fourth at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships, giving head coach Brian Barnes a solid base as he enters his fourth season.
There is also plenty of turnover for Barnes to manage right away, with 16 freshmen arriving and graduate transfer Alex Seybold coming over from Cal Poly. The staff will have a fresh face, too, as Colin Gibson has joined as an assistant coach, adding another layer of change to a roster that will be under the microscope from the first weekend of the season. [Read more 🡒]