Duke’s fall camp is winding down, and the Blue Devils are getting close to sorting out the last few battles on the roster before they open the season against Tulane in less than 10 days. Manny Diaz has already settled the quarterback spot, naming Walker Eget the Week 1 starter. The attention now shifts to the other position groups where the competition is still very much alive.
One of the more interesting fights is at Z wide receiver. Jared Richardson, the Penn transfer, is set at X, and Javen Nicholas, who came over from Charlotte, has locked down the slot. That leaves the Z spot up for grabs, with redshirt freshmen Jaivon Solomon and Jamien Little, along with redshirt sophomore Jayden Moore, all in the mix.
Solomon has reportedly started to separate himself in camp and looks like a player who could make noise this season. That kind of rise has the 2025 recruiting class looking even better. But if Solomon keeps trending up, Moore could be the one squeezed out of the rotation.
Moore was one of the more highly regarded pieces in Diaz’s first recruiting class in 2024, and he is already contributing as a return man on kickoffs and punts. There’s little question he’ll be part of the action this fall in that role. The tougher question is how much work he gets at receiver.
He still brings value as a playmaker, and Duke could use him as a rotational option. At this point, the situation can be read two ways: either Solomon has been that impressive, or Moore hasn’t shown enough yet as a pass-catcher to force his way into the picture.
That could leave Moore on the outside looking in again. It would be a frustrating turn for one of Diaz’s top early recruits, though it doesn’t mean his chance is gone. The door could open quickly for him to become a perimeter weapon in the offense.
His speed, quickness, and vision in space give him a chance to matter in the passing game. Even if the Z job doesn’t fall his way, Moore still has a path to giving Duke depth at receiver and helping wherever the Blue Devils need him.
In Other News...
Dukes ACC Title Defense Rests On A Few New Faces
Duke heads into its 2026 season with the unusual pressure of defending an ACC title while also trying to figure out a roster that looks a lot different than the one that got it there. Manny Diaz has already settled the biggest job on offense, naming San Jose State transfer Walker Eget the starting quarterback, and the staff is clearly counting on several newcomers to help stabilize the next version of this team.
The most obvious makeover is at receiver, where transfers Jared Richardson and Javen Nicholas are expected to play major roles after a summer of reshuffling. On the other side of the ball, the Blue Devils are also looking for a jolt up front, with linebacker Tyshon Reed projected to be a key piece alongside Bryce Davis as Duke tries to improve its pass rush and keep its championship defense from slipping. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Fans Just Got Another Painful Reminder About Darian Mensah
Darian Mensahs move to Miami has quickly become one of the clearest examples of how expensive the transfer market has become in college football. After previously playing at Duke and Tulane, the quarterback entered the portal, committed to Miami and signed an NIL deal reportedly worth more than $6 million, placing him among the most highly compensated players in the sports NIL era.
For Duke fans, the sting is not just that Mensah moved on, but how much his value has climbed since leaving. On3 reported that his NIL earnings jumped from $4 million last season to $6.5 million this season, a sharp rise that only deepens the sense that the Blue Devils lost out on a player whose market exploded after his departure. Mensah was also involved in a legal settlement with Duke after his transfer, adding another layer to a departure that still lingers around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Rivals Just Got Hit By An ACC Roster Shakeup
The ACC has tightened its roster rules in a move that could ripple across the league, adding a ban on schools bringing in players who signed professional contracts or declared for drafts without withdrawing by the NCAA deadline. The policy brings the conference in line with similar steps already taken by the Big Ten, SEC and Big 12, and for Duke it does not change anything about the current roster.
What it does change is the backdrop for a few familiar names who are still sorting out their next steps. Players such as Seth Trimble and Mark Mitchell remain in that gray area of eligibility, and with the new league-wide rule now in place, any decision they make will carry more weight for programs watching the transfer and draft markets closely. [Read more 🡒]