Manny Diaz had to rebuild Duke's WR room practically from scratch this offseason. The Blue Devils lost their four leading receivers from last year. Cooper Barkate (Miami) and Que'Sean Brown (Virginia Tech) left as intraconference transfers, and Sahmir Hagans and Andrel Anthony exhausted their eligibility.
Diaz did good work in the portal to add productive and experienced talent, landing Penn's Jared Richardson and Charlotte's Javen Nicholas, but Duke is still counting on organic growth from young players to fill out the room.
There's been an open competition during fall camp for the WR3 spot next to expected starters Richardson and Nicholas, and it looks like sophomore Jaivon Solomon may be beginning to separate in the race. Guys like Jayden Moore, Jamien Little, and true freshman Brody Keefe are still pushing, but it was Solomon who was the standout during Duke's first scrimmage of fall camp on Sunday.
Solomon led Duke with three receptions for 50 yards and a pair of touchdowns, per Duke's official athletics website.
Jaivon Solomon may be gaining separation in Duke's WR3 competition
Solomon is a guy the coaching staff has been high on since he signed in the 2025 recruiting class. After sitting and learning for the majority of last season, it appears the second-year player is tracking to be a big part of the Blue Devils' offense this season.
Finding playmakers to step up is pivotal for Diaz and OC Jonathan Brewer, especially as they break in a new starting QB.
Solomon's rise could be good news for sophomore Dan Mahan in the QB competition. The classmates have developed a quick rapport in Durham, with Diaz pointing out a month ago an impressive throw-and-catch from Mahan to Solomon during Sun Bowl practice that was a peek into the future of Duke football.
"I remember calling the team over and saying, 'Does anybody think that's not going to be a thing here at Duke? Mahan to Solomon, 50-yard touchdown?' And everyone was like 'Yes, absolutely,'" Diaz said. "They probably thought 27, right? But ok, that can happen in 26. There's a million stories in college football history where that's exactly what happens."
Duke has plenty of talent at WR with the transfer duo and some intriguing young talent. Solomon isn't positioned for the job simply by being the best of mediocre options; he's thriving in a battle of good players.
That's a good sign for the Duke offense. With what could be the best ground attack in the ACC, led by Nate Sheppard and a veteran offensive line, having a group of receivers that can take advantage of what should be a lot of one-on-one coverage could allow the Blue Devils to maintain a high-level passing attack even without Darian Mensah leading the charge.
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