Week 1 is upon us, and Duke is just 48 hours away from kicking off the 2026 season at home against Tulane in what will be a scorching-hot day in Durham.
Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils are the defending ACC Champions, but they enter the season with plenty of doubters nationally after losing star QB Darian Mensah to Miami in the Transfer Portal. San Jose State transfer Walker Eget will take the reins, providing stability and experience at quarterback while Duke transitions to more of a power run team led by star sophomore Nate Sheppard in the backfield and what should be one of the league's top offensive lines.
Duke released its first depth chart of the season this week, and as always, there were a few surprises. It gives us a good idea of the fall camp movement, however, and heading into the season, let's take a look at three players trending up and three who are trending down.
3 up, 3 down for Duke football ahead of the 2026 season opener
Up: WR Jayden Moore/Kavon Simmons
Third-year Jayden Moore and second-year Kavon Simmons were listed as co-starters at one of Duke's three starting spots at WR. Moore saw some action last year, catching seven passes for 42 yards. He also saw some action as a return man for the Blue Devils a season ago.
Simmons took a redshirt in his first season, but he looks on track for a major role in his second season in Durham. There wasn't a lot of information on him during fall camp, but it's clear that he's taken a pretty significant step to move into a co-starting role.
Down: WR Jaivon Solomon
At the same spot, Solomon is listed as third-string behind Moore and Simmons. That's surprising considering the considerable buzz that he generated during camp. He produced 50 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns in Duke's first scrimmage, prompting many to believe he had the inside track for the WR3 spot.
It feels like outside of the veteran transfers Jared Richardson, Javen Nicholas, and Jonah Burton, there's still a lot of competition among Duke's young receivers.
Up: CB Kyon Loud
Loud, a transfer from Montana, was flying under the radar throughout the offseason. He brought some experience from the FCS level, playing in 20 games and starting seven during his time there. But he was listed in most projections as a depth piece for this season.
Instead, he was listed as a starter in Duke's official depth chart for Week 1, beating out a returning starter. Speaking of...
Down: CB Kimari Robinson
Diaz talked about it throughout the offseason and fall camp about how all spots were open in the secondary despite Duke returning three starters from last season. That's because the Blue Devils ranked among the worst in college football in pass defense a season ago, which was a major reason the defense took such a dive in 2025 from being a Top 25 unit in 2024.
Robinson was a starter last season, but he's now listed as Loud's backup on the depth chart. He might get some opportunities throughout the season, but it's a clear message from Diaz that more is expected on the back end this season.
Up: S Andrew Pellicciotta
Pellicciotta is a player the coaching staff is really high on. He saw significant action as a freshman last year, and in fall camp he beat out a stable of veterans to earn Duke's starting spot at free safety. Stanford transfer Che Ojarikre was the favorite to win that job, but the sophomore Pellicciotta was a major standout in camp.
He'll team with returning starter DaShawn Stone to hopefully give the Blue Devils a formidable safety duo.
Down: DL Owen Wafle
Arguably the biggest surprise - and disappointment - of the depth chart release was Penn State/Michigan transfer Owen Wafle not even fully locking up a backup spot on the defensive line. Wafle came to Duke with significant pedigree and was projected by many to start up front.
Instead, fourth-year junior David Anderson is the entrenched starter at nose tackle, and Wafle is listed as a co-backup alongside second-year freshman Julius Columbus.
Add us as a preferred source on Google