On3 national college football writer Pete Nakos released what programs he believes have the easiest and most difficult non-conference schedules next season, and Nakos put Duke atop the toughest in the nation. The list included 11 programs with the hardest non-con slates in the country.
"Manny Diaz has his quarterback of the future in Darian Mensah, but the Blue Devils have a notable nonconference slate," Nakos said. "Duke opens the year at home against Elon, then hosts Illinois in one of the top nonconference matchups of the college football season. The Blue Devils then hit the road for games at Tulane and UConn — two programs that both made bowl games in 2024."
Four other programs out of the ACC made the list of the most difficult non-conference schedules in Miami, Florida State, Clemson, and Syracuse.
After an offseason where Diaz revamped the Blue Devils' roster on the offensive side of the ball and brought back several key defensive returners, Duke is looking to build on an extremely successful first year in Durham with Diaz as the head coach. Duke won nine games in a season for just the fourth time in program history, and Diaz became the second Duke head coach to win nine games in his first season, following Mike Elko, who accomplished the feat in 2022.
The Blue Devils' week two date at home against Illinois could single-handedly decide the ceiling of the program's 2025 season. On3 lists the Fighting Illini as a top-ten team in the country heading into the campaign, and Duke was gifted with a prime opportunity to secure a marquee victory at home early on and propel itself into the national rankings.
Diaz and his group have been disrespected all offseason, not seen as a true national contender, or even a serious threat in the ACC. A victory over Illinois early would completely shift the public perception of how good the Blue Devils truly are.
However, in a scenario where Duke gets blown out at Wallace Wade, it would make the rest of the season an uphill climb to move up the rankings and fight for a College Football Playoff spot.
Duke also has several in-conference matchups that will pay dividends, such as a home game against Georgia Tech and a road contest against North Carolina. The Blue Devils are in search of their first ACC Championship since 1989, and it feels like it all rides on the week two game against Illinois.