Since Duke landed veteran QB Walker Eget out of the Transfer Portal from San Jose State, it has been a foregone conclusion that he would be the starter for the Blue Devils in 2026. Everywhere but inside the Duke building, at least.
With fall camp opening on Wednesday for the defending ACC champions, Manny Diaz did what he's done throughout the offseason: reiterated that there's legitimate competition at QB and let everyone know that sophomore Dan Mahan should not be discounted.
"Dan and Walker both took reps with the first group today," Diaz said after practice on Wednesday. "That's the first time that Walker has seen somewhat of a rush since last season. So, you've got one guy who has got a lot of promise, who hasn't done it yet, and you've got one guy who has got a lot of production, who is just getting into our offense and learning."
Walker Eget and Dan Mahan split first-team reps during Duke's first practice of fall camp
Mahan has a small leg up in the competition from his familiarity in the system. That was aided by taking first-team reps all of spring while Eget was sidelined with an injury. Mahan is a guy that Diaz and the offensive coaches are high on. They believe he's the future of the program at QB, and that future could come quicker than most fans thought.
Eget has some ground to make up after missing the spring. But he's got a significant edge in game experience, starting 18 games for San Jose State over the last two seasons. He threw for over 3000 yards last season and could provide the steadying force at the position that the Blue Devils need.
With a potential All-American at RB in Nate Sheppard and what should be a strong offensive line, Duke doesn't need either QB to be a hero. They just need to effectively manage the game and avoid the back-breaking turnovers that can cost you in close contests.
Diaz said as much on Wednesday.
"I think our team is excited about whoever it is. But first and foremost, the first rule of winning is don't beat yourself, so that will be the way that we evaluate that," Diaz said.
Obviously, in a perfect world, one of the QBs will emerge as not only a guy who will limit mistakes, but a guy who can raise the ceiling of the offense, too. That's what Diaz and the offensive coaching staff will be looking for over the next month as the Blue Devils prepare to open the 2026 season at home against Tulane on September 5th.
As for a timeline, Diaz said Duke is in no rush to name a starter, and the competition could extend into the 11th hour before the season:
"If it's an hour before kickoff, that'd be great; if it's anything earlier than that, that would be great too," Diaz said.
In any case, while Eget should probably still be considered the favorite due to his significant edge in game experience, it's far too early to count Mahan out. He's legitimately competing for the job.
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