Duke’s offense and defense both have a few names NC State has to have circled, and the Blue Devils are bringing plenty of proven production into this matchup.
Start with running back Sheppard, who has gone from breakout newcomer to one of the ACC’s most dangerous backs. Last fall, he piled up 200 carries for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 37 catches for 286 yards and another score.
That work earned him Second Team All-ACC honors from both the league and the Associated Press. This season, he’s taken another step.
Through 2026, he has 173 carries for 972 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus 31 receptions for 302 yards and four more scores. He now leads the ACC in rushing by more than 200 yards, and he’s coming off a five-touchdown outing in Duke’s 47-2 win over Boston College last weekend.
At quarterback, sixth-year Walker Eget has settled in after taking over for Darian Mensah, who transferred to Miami after a record-breaking 2025 season. Eget arrived from San Jose State, where he spent two years as a starter and threw for more than 5,500 yards and 30 touchdowns while earning honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition in 2025.
Interceptions were part of that story too - he threw 19 across the 2024 and 2025 seasons - but he’s been much cleaner in Durham. In Duke’s 6-2 start, he has thrown only three picks.
Over the first eight games, he’s completed 133 of 215 passes for 1,641 yards and nine touchdowns. He was also on the Preseason Manning Award Watch List.
Another key piece in the passing game is tight end Hasley, whose 2025 breakout put him on the national radar. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound target caught 40 passes for 454 yards and six touchdowns last season, and PFF ranked him as the No. 6 returning tight end in college football.
That’s why multiple outlets pegged him as a preseason First-Team All-ACC and All-American selection. He’s continued to produce this year, with 33 catches for 305 yards and a touchdown - that score came against Boston College - and he ranks fifth among ACC tight ends in receiving yards.
On the other side of the ball, sixth-year linebacker Nick Morris has turned a stop-start stretch into a strong 2026 comeback. After earning a starting job late in 2023 and finishing with 61 tackles, he missed 22 games over the last two seasons because of injuries.
He opened last fall with four starts and 18 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, before another injury cut him down. This season, he’s back in the middle of everything for Duke, leading the team with 45 tackles to go with three tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.
Safety Stone is another steady presence in a Blue Devils defense that has been excellent. He was Duke’s top reserve at safety in 2024, won a starting job before the 2025 season and never gave it back.
He started all 14 games for the ACC champions and finished with 86 tackles, third-most on the team, along with two interceptions. In 2026, he’s again been a reliable piece in a secondary that ranks No. 1 in the ACC in total defense and scoring defense, and he sits second on the team with 39 tackles.
In Other News...
NC States New Era Opened With A Debut Fans Will Notice
The Justin Gainey era opened at the Lenovo Center with a win, as NC State handled Campbell 83-64 in the first game of the new season. It was the kind of debut the Wolfpack needed after a summer of change, and the early return came with a balanced effort that gave the home crowd plenty to watch.
Ven-Allen Lubin set the tone with a clean, efficient night in the paint and on the glass, while Darius Adams added 16 points to help keep the offense moving. Christian Hammond also made an impact with 14 points and six assists, giving NC State another useful piece as Gainey starts to sort out the rotation and define what this team can become. [Read more 🡒]