Nate Sheppard flew under the radar during his recruitment, ultimately finishing as a low 4-star recruit and the No. 439 overall player in the country. The Louisiana native never drew serious interest from home state LSU, and Manny Diaz and company ultimately landed a gem.
Sheppard isn't flying under the radar any longer after a standout freshman season. He took little time before announcing himself as one of the best running backs in the ACC, becoming the lead back for Duke by the end of September and rushing for 1132 yards and 11 touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry during his rookie year.
That kind of performance surely got him noticed by programs with deep pockets, including his home state Tigers. And while all the attention for Diaz and Duke this offseason has been on who they lost - QB Darian Mensah - not nearly enough has been made of the Blue Devils holding on to Sheppard despite the sharks circling during the Transfer Portal window.
"Nate Sheppard is a freaking dude," an ACC GM said, via ESPN. "I'm shocked he's not at, like, LSU. How did Duke keep him?"
Nate Sheppard rejected any interest from other programs to remain at Duke
Forget who left. Duke fans should celebrate players like Sheppard who stayed. He undoubtedly received a well-earned raise from the Blue Devils this offseason, but he could have commanded an even bigger payday on the open market.
ESPN ranks him as tied for the No. 10 RB in college football heading into his sophomore season after an All-ACC 2nd Team showing as a freshman.
"Several high-profile programs were hoping Sheppard might test the transfer portal in January, but he rejected their interest to stay in Durham for his sophomore campaign," ESPN writes.
Diaz keeping Sheppard is the biggest reason for optimism for Duke offensively next season. He'll be the bell cow and should be able to shoulder an even bigger load as the Blue Devils break in a new starting quarterback.
Walker Eget and Dan Mahan won't have the same ceiling as Mensah, but with what should be a pretty good offensive line paving the way for a dynamic running back, neither of them needs to be.
Sheppard announced himself quickly during his first season. It'll be fascinating to see what he has in store for an encore. He'll be among the top running backs in college football next season, and should take an even bigger leap up these rankings next year after what has the potential to be an All-American sophomore campaign in Durham.
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