The Duke football program has a lot to be excited about heading into year two under head coach Manny Diaz. The Blue Devils finished last season with a 9-4 overall record and a 5-3 record in ACC play, marking just the fourth time in program history that Duke finished a season with nine wins or more.
With the additions of highly coveted transfers such as former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah and former Sam Houston State defensive back Caleb Weaver, the Blue Devils look to blossom into a sleeper contender in the ACC.
And with the new transfers comes chemistry that needs to be made with the veterans of the program. So let's take a look at the top five returners for the Duke football program in 2025-26.
#5 - Tre Freeman - Linebacker
Freeman was one of the leaders of Duke's defensive front seven from a season ago, which was one of the best in college football. The Blue Devils ranked second in the nation in tackles for loss with 116 and fourth in sacks with 43, and Freeman was a big part of that. The Durham native tied the team lead in fumble recoveries with two and finished fifth on the team in total tackles with 67. Heading into his senior campaign and fifth season with the Blue Devils, Freeman will be the veteran leader of Duke's front seven that will look to replicate its production from 2024-25.
#4 - Jaquez Moore - Running Back
Moore came into 2024-25 as the lead back for the Blue Devils, but missed the majority of the season after suffering a lower leg injury in Duke's week two win at Northwestern. Heading into his redshirt senior campaign, Moore is the only upperclassman in the backfield for Diaz and will likely carry the heavy lifting for the Duke backs. Through the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Moore ran for 1,182 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging six yards a carry. One of the biggest issues for the Blue Devils last season was the lack of a consistent rushing attack, so having a healthy Moore who can handle a heavy workload will give offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer a reliable back to shake up the offense.
#3 - Que'Sean Brown - Wide Receiver
Brown emerged as the third wide receiver for Duke as a rookie behind veterans Eli Pancol and Jordan Moore, who both are out of college eligibility and have now signed NFL contracts. This paves the way for Brown to be a much bigger part of the offense along with the transfer wideouts that the Blue Devils are bringing in, such as Cooper Barkate from Harvard and Andrel Anthony from Oklahoma. As a freshman, Brown caught 41 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 10.9 yards per reception. Brown and Sahmir Hagans are the only two returning wideouts for Duke who were contributors a season ago, and Brown is poised for a breakout sophomore campaign in Durham.
#2 - Terry Moore - Safety
The rising junior was named the highest-rated returning safety in the country by Pro Football Focus for the 2025 season and is poised for a big-time senior campaign for the Blue Devils. In 2024, Moore led the Blue Devils in interceptions with four, tied the team lead in forced fumbles with two, and finished fourth on the team in total tackles with 71. Along with star returner Chandler Rivers and Weaver, the Blue Devils' secondary has a chance to be the best in the ACC with Moore's return. Diaz is a defensive-minded coach and will take full advantage of the talent he is bringing back to Durham for the 2025 season.
#1 - Chandler Rivers - Cornerback
Rivers' return was one of the biggest decisions of the offseason for Diaz and the Blue Devils, and his decision to return gives Duke a real chance to have one of the best secondaries in the ACC and the entire country. ESPN ranked Rivers as the seventh-best returning defensive back in college football for the 2025 season and the second-best corner out of the ACC. The Texas native finished his junior season with 54 total tackles, eight pass deflections, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He tied the team lead last season in both picks and forced fumbles. Rivers had legitimate day two interest in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he elected to come back to Duke for one more season and hopefully raise his draft stock even more for 2026.