ACC Media Days are here, which means the unofficial kick-off for the 2026 college football season has begun. We're just a few short weeks away from Manny Diaz and Duke hitting the practice field for fall camp as they look to defend their ACC Championship.
With Darian Mensah's stunning transfer at the 11th hour of the offseason portal cycle, all eyes for the Duke offense will be on rising sophomore RB Nate Sheppard. The former 3-star recruit was a revelation for Diaz and the Blue Devils in 2025. By late September, it became obvious to everyone that Sheppard was the guy in Duke's backfield.
Sheppard took on a starring role for the Duke offense as a freshman, producing 1132 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry. With Mensah gone, Sheppard figures to be an even bigger bell-cow for the Blue Devils in 2026.
At ACC Media Days, former Florida State and Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, who is now an analyst for the ACC Network, gave a perfect one-liner for Sheppard's ability in the backfield:
"Some guys move the chains, some guys change the number on the scoreboard," Fisher said to Sheppard. "Every time you're getting green grass, the number on the scoreboard changes up there. As a play caller, I loved those. That made you look smart."
Jimbo Fisher perfectly sums up Nate Sheppard's game-changing ability for Duke
It's always nice to see Sheppard getting his much-deserved recognition from those outside of Durham. Despite his terrific freshman season, it has felt like he has flown under the radar a bit this offseason.
Too much has been made about the players Duke lost this offseason - i.e. Mensah and WR Cooper Barkate - and not enough credit has been given for Diaz's ability to retain a player of Sheppard's quality, who undoubtedly outperformed the contract he signed with Duke out of high school.
Sheppard produced three 100+ yard games for the Blue Devils in 2025, including a 170-yard performance with a touchdown in Duke's thrilling Sun Bowl victory over Arizona State.
One thing is certain: you can bank on, assuming good health, that Sheppard is going to get a lot more than 200 carries next season. He averaged just over 14 rushing attempts per game as a freshman. That number should creep over 20 per game as a sophomore as he takes on an even more vital role for the Duke offense with Mensah now at Miami.
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