Just five games into his collegiate career, Duke running back Nate Sheppard has started turning heads in the direction of the Blue Devils.
After his two-touchdown performance against the Syracuse Orange in Week 5, Sheppard received some well-deserved praise.
In On3's weekly list of standout true freshmen, Sheppard was named as the True Freshman of the Week, ahead of Oregon stars Dakorien Moore and Dierre Hill Jr., as well as Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and UNT's Caleb Hawkins.
Sheppard earned 168 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Syracuse, both career highs for the young RB. So far this season, he has averaged 8.1 yards per carry while also earning 96 receiving yards and an additional touchdown through the air.
NEW: Week 5 College Football True Freshman Standouts headlined by Duke RB Nate Sheppard😈
— On3 (@On3sports) September 29, 2025
(via @clarkbrooks_On3) https://t.co/4jclvib4su pic.twitter.com/Ite6AyxQLM
Sheppard leads the Blue Devils' running back room in yards and carries, ahead of senior running backs Anderson Castle and Jaquez Moore.
The young running back was a three-star prospect coming out of high school and went relatively overlooked despite his impressive resume. He received offers from Colorado, Cal, and a few other programs, but chose to play for the Blue Devils and head coach Manny Diaz.
With the win over Syracuse, led by Sheppard's performance, the Blue Devils improved to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play, tying Duke with the Virginia Cavaliers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for first in the ACC standings.
This Saturday, the Blue Devils are scheduled to fly to California to take on the Cal Golden Bears on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 10:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.