Duke got off to the start it hoped for by taking down Tulane 17-3 at home on Saturday. It wasn't always pretty, but Manny Diaz called it an "identity" win. Duke imposed its will on the visitors from New Orleans, pounding the rock for 250 yards on the ground and stifling the Green Wave attack.
Duke has plenty to clean up heading into a much more challenging game next week at Illinois, but the Blue Devils look improved in a few key areas, while obviously taking a step back in one significant area.
Let's look at winners and losers from the Blue Devils' opening statement.
Winner: Nate Sheppard
Could we start anywhere else? If there was a better player in college football this weekend than Nate Sheppard, I certainly didn't see them.
With limited ability to move the ball via the forward pass, Duke's entire offense was on Sheppard's broad shoulders. He picked up a career-high 227 yards on a career-high 35 carries, punching in both of the Blue Devils' touchdowns in the win.
Sheppard had some extra motivation heading into the opener, and he's got plenty of motivation for the season after being overlooked in the preseason. If one game is any indication, he's not going to be overlooked for much longer.
Winner: Bryce Davis
The Bryce Davis breakout that Duke fans had been hoping for didn't take long. In the 2026 opener, the former elite recruit had a monster performance in Duke's two-touchdown win over Tulane. He had six tackles, three tackles-for-loss, and two sacks to key a dominant defensive effort for the Blue Devils.
Duke needed a player like Davis to step into a starring role to replace what they lost off the edge, and after one week, it looks like Davis may even be an upgrade for the Blue Devils' defense.
Winner: Tyshon Reed
Reed didn't put up the same numbers as Davis, but he was virtually unblockable against Tulane. He got half a tackle for loss and defended a pass. But his effort and energy were massive for a Duke defensive line that imposed its will on Saturday afternoon.
Reed earned one of the coaching staff's player of the week honors for his performance.
Winner: Nick Morris Jr.
The other player of the week on the defensive side of the ball for the coaching staff was LB Nick Morris Jr. He flew all over the field in the middle of the Duke defense, racking up six tackles in his return from injury. Morris suffered a season-ending leg injury last season after four games, which was a major reason for Duke's regression on that side of the ball.
With Morris back in the middle, Duke looks formidable again.
Loser: Walker Eget
While Duke's ground game and defense were exceptional, the Blue Devils walked out of the season-opener with a massive question at QB. It didn't sound like Diaz planned to make any immediate changes, but something is going to have to give.
San Jose State transfer Walker Eget was uneven in his first start for Duke. He didn't look comfortable and didn't seem to trust his previously injured knees. Duke was not much of a threat in the passing game, with Eget finishing just 13-of-26 for 131 yards.
Sophomore Dan Mahan got some burn later in the game to give Duke a change of pace with his running ability, and it will be interesting to monitor going forward whether he continues to get more and more snaps.
If Duke wants to be more than just a middling team in the ACC, they've got to get more out of the QB position.
Loser: Jared Richardson
Penn transfer Jared Richardson was expected to be the new No. 1 WR for Duke this year with Cooper Barkate joining Darian Mensah at Miami. But at least for one week, Richardson was a non-factor for the offense.
He didn't register a catch and was only targeted twice. It's fair to put most of the blame for that on the quarterback, but OC Jonathan Brewer needs to do more to get Richardson involved in the game plan next week. He can be a difference-maker on the outside, but Duke has to be able to trust their QB to get the ball out there.
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