Contrary to what some in the media have tried to portray this offseason, this is still a very talented Duke football team, even without Darian Mensah.
As Manny Diaz enters year three at the helm of the Blue Devils, this team might not be good enough to capture a second consecutive ACC Championship, but rumors of its total demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Led by an elite RB in Nate Sheppard and a veteran offensive line, Duke will still be difficult to deal with in 2026. They'll look different than they did a season ago, but they won't be an easy out for anybody on their schedule.
Diaz still needs to figure out a few key position battles in fall camp as preparations for the season continue to ramp up.
3 key position battles for Manny Diaz and Duke in fall camp
3. WR3
Duke has a couple of impressive transfers who should make an immediate difference at WR. The Blue Devils added Penn's Jared Richardson and Charlotte's Javen Nicholas in the Transfer Portal, and that duo should be more than capable of making up for what the Blue Devils lost.
The battle for the third starting WR spot is intriguing. Returners Jaivon Solomon, Jamien Little, and Jayden Moore are looking to carve out big roles, but the sleeper for WR3 is freshman Brody Keefe, who was a revelation in spring practice.
Solomon and Little are probably going to start the season as WR3, but don't be surprised if Keefe grabs the job sometime during the year.
2. Secondary
It's impossible to even narrow this down because Diaz recently said that the entire secondary was up for grabs in fall camp.
"There are no jobs claimed in the secondary, so everybody understands that every time there's a ball thrown, someone has a chance to earn playing time this year," Diaz said after practice on Wednesday.
Improvement against the pass is the single most important area where Diaz and his team have to improve in 2026. They added some talented players in the portal like Che Ojarikre (Stanford), Dylan Flowers (Western Kentucky), Evan Smith (Northwestern), and Patrick Smith-Young (Western Kentucky), along with experienced returners like Kimari Robinson, Landan Callahan, and DaShawn Stone.
Duke actually returns three starters in the secondary from last season, but as poorly as they ranked, Diaz is right to have an open competition for the jobs in fall camp.
1. Quarterback
While Duke's identity will revolve around Sheppard and the ground game, it's obviously pivotal to get quality play at QB.
Diaz had few options in the portal after Mensah's late departure, but he did add experienced graduate transfer Walker Eget from San Jose State. While many have already penciled him in as the starter, Diaz has continuously made it a point to signal that sophomore Dan Mahan is very much alive in the competition.
Mahan has the edge with time in this system, and he took advantage of a spring full of first-team reps with Eget sidelined. Ultimately, while it seems likely that Eget will win the job eventually this fall, Mahan has a real chance of beating out the veteran.
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