Duke’s passing game looks very different heading into Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Gies Memorial Stadium, and not just because the Blue Devils are breaking in a new quarterback. The departure of star QB Darian Mensah and star WR Cooper Barkate to conference rival Miami changed the entire shape of the offense, and John Watson of The Devils Den says it’s impossible to ignore the impact.
Watson pointed to the way those exits unfolded, saying Duke was “poached/tampered with/undercut at the last minute.” He added, “Yep, it definitely happened, and Duke rightly sued and did very well in the settlement.” But even beyond that off-field piece, the on-field reality is clear: “it’s silly to act as though the play under center is in the same league as it was a season ago.”
That job now belongs to Walker Eget, who got his first look in Week One. Manny Diaz has been upfront about the challenge ahead. Watson said the head coach has acknowledged there was real risk with Eget because he is “coming off a knee injury that didn’t allow him to work in spring ball or for most of the summer without restriction, and he’s learning a new system and doing so with a completely new wide receiver room and with a retooled offensive line.”
Watson also identified the new pieces Duke will lean on in the passing game, though the adjustment remains the bigger story. With a new quarterback, a new set of receivers, and a reshaped line in front of him, Eget is stepping into a situation that looks nothing like the one Duke had a year ago.
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Duke Offense Faces Two Early Pressure Points At Illinois
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Mac Resetich Could Become A Bigger Illinois Weapon Fast
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Defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck has been encouraged by Resetichs work ethic and the way he has taken to the new system, even if there is still room to tighten up the tackling side of his game. For Illinois, that makes Resetich an intriguing piece: a veteran who is adapting fast on defense while also hinting at a bigger role as a punt returner if the production keeps trending in the same direction. [Read more 🡒]