Duke’s 2026 countdown has reached the stretch run, and the player sitting at No. 2 brings a lot more than numbers to the table. Luke Mergott has pushed himself into the conversation as the Blue Devils’ best overall player, and the case for him is strong.
That matters even more because Duke’s defense is going to need a major response if the Blue Devils want to stay in the ACC mix. The offense can bring back pieces and newcomers can carve out roles, but the clearest path for Duke is still the same one it’s leaned on before: the defense setting the tone. Mergott and Nick Morris Jr. are the linebacker pair at the center of that plan.
Mergott was one of Duke’s representatives at the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff, a fitting spot for a player expected to help lead a team that will again face plenty of doubt after winning the conference title. At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he first saw the field in five games as a rookie, then became a steady part of the rotation in 2024, appearing in all 13 games and finishing with 14 total tackles.
His real jump came in 2025. Mergott played in all 14 games and started 10, tying safety Caleb Weaver for the team lead with 90 tackles. He also added three pass deflections, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a sack.
That production became even more important after Morris Jr. went down with a season-ending leg injury early in the season, forcing Mergott into a larger role. He handled it.
There’s reason to like what Duke has up front with Kevin O'Connor, Bryce Davis, Owen Wafle and Preston Watson, and Mergott plus Morris Jr. give the Blue Devils a linebacker tandem that could be one of the best parts of the roster. The concern is the secondary, where Chandler Rivers, Terry Moore and Weaver are all gone.
Duke is still waiting to officially announce when 2026 fall camp will begin, but the start of the season is already on the calendar. The Blue Devils open against Tulane on September 5.
Here’s the full countdown so far: No. 30 WR Jaivon Solomon | No.
29 RB CJ Campbell | No. 28 QB Dan Mahan | No.
27 DT Preston Watson | No. 26 DT Owen Wafle | No.
25 IOL Sean Stover | No. 24 DE Kevin O'Connor | No.
23 CB Landan Callahan | No. 22 WR Javen Nicholas | No.
21 CB Kyon Loud | No. 20 S Andrew Pellicciotta | No.
19 CB Che Ojarikre | No. 18 LB Kendall Johnson | No.
17 QB Walker Eget | No. 16 CB Dylan Flowers | No.
15 OT Braden Miller | No. 14 C Matt Craycraft | No.
13 CB Kimari Robinson | No. 12 DE Bryce Davis | No.
11 LB Elliott Schaper | No. 10 LB Bradley Gompers | No.
9 S Patrick Smith-Young | No. 8 OT Nick Del Grande | No.
7 DE Tyshon Reed | No. 6 LB Nick Morris Jr.
| No. 5 S DaShawn Stone | No.
4 WR Jared Richardson | No. 3 TE Jeremiah Hasley.
In Other News...
Duke Fall Camp Could Decide Which New Faces Save Its Title Push
Duke heads into fall camp with the familiar burden that comes after a championship run: replace enough pieces to keep the standard from slipping. The Blue Devils are trying to defend their ACC title while sorting through a roster that has changed enough to make camp feel less like a tune-up and more like the first real evaluation point of the season.
A few names stand out in that race for larger roles, with Davis, Nicholas, Pellicciotta and Johnson all positioned to make a case as camp unfolds. For a team trying to stay on top, the value of those emerging contributors could be measured as much by how quickly they settle into the rotation as by any single highlight, and fall camp may tell Duke whether its next wave is ready to carry part of the load. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Trip To Florida Could Get A Lot Tougher After New Ruling
A federal judges latest ruling could add another layer of uncertainty to the college basketball calendar, including for Dukes plans down the road. A U.S. District Court judge in Colorado granted a preliminary injunction that would allow college athletes from the high school class of 2022 who used up their fourth season of eligibility this spring to come back for a fifth season in 2026-27, a decision that cuts directly against the NCAAs new age-based eligibility model.
The ruling is expected to be appealed, but for now it opens the door for more roster questions across the sport and gives programs extra reasons to keep an eye on the legal fight. One player potentially affected is former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen, whose status for that 2026-27 season now sits among the many unresolved pieces in a situation that could ripple into matchups and roster building for years to come. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Freshman Is Already Trying To Set The Tone Against Duke
Dukes 2026-27 preseason slate already has a little extra edge to it, thanks to a pair of exhibition games that should tell the Blue Devils plenty about where they stand before the games count. The schedule includes a scrimmage against Belmont and tune-up matchups with Tennessee and Kansas, giving Duke a chance to see how a revamped roster handles some early pressure against opponents with real talent and real expectations.
Kansas will bring plenty of intrigue into that meeting, especially with highly rated freshman Tyran Stokes arriving as the kind of player who can change the tone of a game before the season even starts. With the Jayhawks also dealing with significant roster turnover, the exhibition offers an early measuring stick for both programs, and a reminder that these preseason dates can feel a lot more serious than the label suggests. [Read more 🡒]