Ahead of the 2026 college football season, I’ll be dropping my preseason power rankings for the five major teams in the Carolina, including Clemson, Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Today we continue with the Duke Blue Devils, checking in ahead of North Carolina.
The reigning ACC champions will have their work cut out for them after losing quarterback Darian Mensah to the transfer portal. However, Manny Diaz earned the benefit of the doubt last season by guiding the Blue Devils to their first ACC title since 1989.
The Blue Devils offense will likely center around running back Nate Sheppard. While Mensah and the passing attack stole the show last season, Sheppard quietly impressed with 1132 yards on the ground, second most in the ACC. Sheppard’s ability to make defenders miss proved to be lethal. While he’s not the biggest or the fastest running back, he’s certainly one of the craftiest backs in the nation. If Sheppard can replicate his 5.7 yards per carry average this season, Duke will be well-positioned for success.
The quarterback battle will be pivotal for Duke. The Blue Devils have three options, which include San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, North Alabama transfer Ari Patu, and returning backup Dan Mahan. For now, Eget seems to be the most likely starter after starting the past two years at San Jose State. Eget is primarily a pocket passer and has a tendency to make risky throws. It shows in his high turnover numbers, throwing 19 interceptions over the last two seasons. Eget also was unable to complete 60% of his passes each of the past two seasons. If Duke rolls with Eget, watch for the Blue Devils to be a highly volatile offense.
The Blue Devils are also replacing standout wide receiver Cooper Barkate, who joined Mensah at Miami. Duke will turn to Penn transfer Jared Richardson, who totaled at least 600 yards and seven touchdowns in each of his first three seasons. Moving up from FCS to ACC certainly poses questions for Richardson though, so it’s no guarantee his skillset will translate. With an inexperienced room outside of Richardson, the Penn Transfer’s success is critical for Duke’s offense.
Fortunately for the Blue Devils, tight end Jeremiah Hasley returns after a breakout season. A Preseason All ACC selection, Hasley is one of the best tight ends in the conference and will be a reliable option for whoever wins the quarterback battle. While he’s not the biggest or the fastest tight end, Hasley has reliable hands and runs sharp routes, which should help raise the floor for the Blue Devils’ offense.
The Blue Devils retained key players on the interior of the offensive line, but will need to replace both tackles. Duke attacked the transfer market and secured Nick Del Grande from Coastal Carolina and Braden Miller from Cal. Del Grande is an experienced two-time All Sun Belt selection who earned the highest PFF season grade amongst Sun Belt offensive tackles last season. Miller meanwhile has made seven career starts and is a bigger gamble for the Blue Devils, but has all the athletic tools needed to succeed in the ACC.
Defensively, Duke lost significant talent, most notably cornerback Chandler Rivers and defensive end Wesley Williams. The Blue Devils will need a number of unproven pieces to emerge for the defense to live up to head coach Manny Diaz’s defensive standards.
Arguably the biggest upside piece for Duke is defensive end Bryce Davis. Davis is a former four star, top 100 recruit out of Grimsley High School where he racked up 27 sacks as a senior. Star ratings aren’t gospel, but they do show upside and athletic traits which Davis possesses. After spending most of last year developing, Davis is a prime breakout candidate that Duke will need to emerge as a quality pass rusher.
The interior of the defensive line also remains unproven. Options include Penn State transfer Owen Wafle and returners Preston Watson and David Anderson. None have played significant snaps at the collegiate level making it a major area of concern. The Blue Devils will need someone to step up from this group in order for the defense to be functional.
The linebacking room is more promising with Luke Mergott returning. Mergott emerged as a breakout player last season as a tall, do it all linebacker. A steady tackler with underrated speed, Mergott is the anchor that the Blue Devils will lean on this season. I’d watch for Elliott Schaper to compete for a starting role after showing some promise before a season ending injury last season. Nick Morris Jr, who returns for a sixth season, should also compete for a starting role after spending much of his career as a depth piece.
Some of Duke’s best transfer portal work came in the secondary. Retooling the unit was critical, but Diaz found a pair of potential gems in Montana’s Kyon Loud and Western Kentucky’s Dylan Flowers. While Loud didn’t have any interceptions last season, quarterbacks largely avoided throwing his way thanks to his coverage ability. Flowers journey to Duke included several schools from College of the Canyons to Western Kentucky. During that time, Flowers developed strong zone coverage skills. Whether or not Loud and Flowers will translate to the ACC is unknown, but they’ve succeeded in previous stops.
On paper, there’s too many questions to project Duke to contend for the ACC title again. However, Manny Diaz proved he can find talent with many overlooked players shining during Duke’s 2025 ACC title run. For now, Duke can expect to still be a bowl team that can cycle back up next season as their starters gain valuable experience.