Duke is good at football.
As someone who has followed Triangle sports since the late 1970s – and remembers a time when folks seriously pondered whether the Blue Devils might be better off at the FCS level – it is still strange to type that sentence.
Yet here we are. The Devils are the reigning ACC champions, the only Triangle school to win a league since 1980.
They’ve won nine games in three of the past four seasons and earned eight victories the other year. They are 3-1 in bowl games since 2022.
Duke is good at football.
Much of the credit flows from the school’s decision to “go for it” and invest heavily in the sport, as athletic director Nina King described it. King has overseen two home-run hires in head coaches, Mike Elko and now Manny Diaz.
“We’ve got this men’s basketball program that is absolutely elite, top of the top in the brand,” King said to CBSSports.com in September 2025. “But why can’t football be right there with men’s basketball? … It’s not title-or-bust, but can we play at that level? Absolutely, I think we can get there.”
Duke proved it was there last season, landing elite quarterback Darian Mensah out of the portal and charging to a surprise ACC crown.
But 2026 ACC favorite Miami plucked Mensah out of the portal, along with his favorite receiving target, Cooper Barkate.
Yes, Duke is good at football. The Blue Devils have forced the greater college football world to take them seriously. But now comes the next conversation.
Can Duke maintain what they’ve built and possibly even take another step forward?
📝 Published: July 20, 2026
🔄 Last Updated: July 21, 2026
At A Glance
2025 Record: 9-5
2025 Conference Record: 6-2 (T-2nd)
2026 Season Opener: Tulane at Duke | Sept. 5, 2026
Head Coach: Manny Diaz
Record at School: 18-9 (3rd year here)
Career Record: 39-24 (6 years at Duke, Miami)
Offensive Coordinator: Jonathan Brewer (3rd year here)
Defensive Coordinator: Jonathan Patke (3rd year here)
2026 NC Football News Prediction: 7-5
📋 Previewing North Carolina FBS Football
NC Football News is publishing in-depth previews of all seven North Carolina FBS programs ahead of the 2026 season. Explore the previews below. Schools without an active link are still to come.
App State | Charlotte | Duke | East Carolina
NC State | UNC | Wake Forest
Five Things To Know
1. Duke is good at football
We’ll say it yet again because it bears repeating. The Blue Devils are a healthy program despite turbulence across the sport and have been one of the standard-bearers for college football in our state through much of the 2020s. Overlook them at your own risk.
2. The Blue Devils are ACC Champions
This bears repeating too because Duke’s Triangle neighbors haven’t won conference titles in football since 1979 (NC State) and 1980 (UNC). Before 2025, Duke’s most recent championship came in 1989 when it shared the trophy with Virginia. The last solo championship was in 1962.
2. There is still no clear-cut favorite at quarterback
Duke has two main options to replace Mensah, but coach Manny Diaz hasn’t yet signaled the direction he plans to go. The battle heading into fall camp will be between San Jose transfer Walter Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan, a former (Burlington, NC) Williams High standout.
“We believe in what we do on offense,” Diaz said at ACC Media Days in mid-July. “We believe we’re a quarterback friendly offense. We’ve won nine games with very different quarterbacks the last couple years, both guys have set school records.”
4. Both coordinators return for a third season
Duke is one of only five ACC teams who didn’t have to replace at least one coordinator in the off-season. Jonathan Brewer, who oversaw one of the league’s top passing attacks, will be tasked with rebuilding that unit after several stars departed. Jonathan Patke is back to lead the defense, which bent at times (29.4 points, 424.2 yards per game allowed) but mostly didn’t break.
5. Duke is mostly responsible for changing ACC tiebreaker rules
Duke finished in a wild five-way tie for second place in the regular season standings a year ago and was the last team standing after the ACC applied all of its tiebreaker procedures. The fact that a team with five overall losses made the ACC finale – and didn’t make the College Football Playoff after winning the championship – ushered in a new set of tiebreakers this off-season. In a nutshell, in the new system, the ACC basically decided it will pick the two best teams if the standings can’t determine them.
What the Experts Think
Duke’s National Ranking (out of 138 teams)
Athlon: 54th
Phil Steele: 53rd
Lindy’s: 55th
CBSSports: 43rd
Projected Conference Finish (out of 17 teams)
Athlon: 13th
Phil Steele: 11th
Lindy’s: 11th
Sporting News: 13th
Quotable
“It might not always be pretty, and there were a few schedule breaks, but nine-win seasons are nine-win seasons, and Manny Diaz has two in his first two years. It’ll take a lot of work, though, to hit three in a row.” – College Football News writer Pete Fiutak
“It looks unlikely that the offense will match last season’s production, which means the defense needs to improve. So many new faces could make that difficult.” – Athlon Sports
“One of the best things that Manny Diaz did when he became head coach was making sure he retained Dave Feeley, the head strength coach, and not lose him to Texas A&M. From a toughness, physicality and stability standpoint for them, that culture starts in the weight room.” – An opposing ACC coach to Athlon Sports
Why Duke Could Surprise
- Because that is what Duke seems to do every season these days
- Multiple dependable offensive linemen return
- Nate Sheppard is a workhorse running back, who already has logged a 1,000-yard rushing season (2025)
- Three starters return in the secondary, including one (DaShawn Stone) who made 86 tackles a year ago
Why Duke Could Struggle
- The potential for a considerable drop-off at the quarterback spot
- Too many weapons to replace at wideout
- A tougher overall schedule, which includes five ACC road trips plus an early test at Illinois
The Number: 34.6
Duke averaged 34.6 points per game last season, tops in the ACC and 16th nationally. The prolific offensive production masked some defensive deficiencies (near the bottom of the ACC in points and yards allowed) and helped the Blue Devils to nine wins. But the triggerman for that offense, QB Darian Mensah, is now at rival Miami. Can Duke get close to this number again?
Who’s Back?
⭐ Returning Starters
Offense: 4
Defense: 4
Special Teams: 1
⭐ Returning Stat Leaders
Passing: n/a
Rushing: Nate Sheppard – 1,132 yards, 11 TDs
Receiving: Jeremiah Hasley – 40 catches, 454 yards, 6 TDs
Tackles: Luke Mergott – 90 tackles
Sacks: Elliott Schaper – 2 sacks
Tackles-for-Loss: Nick Morris – 3.5 TFLs
Interceptions: Luke Mergott, DaShawn Stone – 2 INTs each
👀 Players To Watch
Offense
RB Nate Sheppard
Durable back carried the ball more than 200 times a year ago and finished as one of our state’s top overall rushers (1,132 yards, 11 TDs).
QBs Walker Eget and Dan Mahan
Battling for the starting quarterback job with no clear front-runner. Eget would seemingly have the edge due to experience (27 games, 5,500+ passing yards at San Jose State from the Mountain West). Mahan did not see the field as a true freshman in 2025 but had a solid spring.
LB Luke Mergott
Didn’t start early in the season but became one of the Devils’ most important defenders by the end – intercepting passes to seal both the ACC title game and Sun Bowl victory over Arizona State.
SAF DaShawn Stone
The former A.C. Reynolds (Asheville) standout finished third on the team a year ago in tackles (86) and also picked off a pair of passes. Will help anchor an experienced secondary.
P Kade Reynoldson
One of the ACC’s top special teamers averaged 44.6 yards per punt a season ago, a key weapon in the field-position game.
Games That Could Define the Season
Tulane at Duke, Sept. 5
Why it matters: Duke took Tulane’s quarterback heading into 2025, then lost to the Green Wave during the season. The rematch, even without Darian Mensah, is an important benchmark game and tone-setter for the season.
Duke at Miami, Nov. 14
Why it matters: This game is chock full of Duke-Miami connections. Manny Diaz has coached both teams. That Mensah ended up with the Hurricanes the way he did – entering the portal at the 11th hour – should add fuel to the fire for this one.
Clemson at Duke, Nov. 21
Why it matters: The Blue Devils smashed the Tigers 28-7 at home to start the 2023 season, one of the first “Duke has arrived” moments for the program in this new era. They won again 46-45 last season in Death Valley. This will be another barometer for where the Devils stand in the ACC pecking order. Can they win three in a row against one of the bluebloods of the conference?
Schedule Snapshot
🏠 Home: 6
✈ Away: 6
⭐ Toughest Test: At Miami, Nov. 14. The Hurricanes are preseason top 10 and the team to beat in the ACC
⚠️ Trap Game: Boston College, Oct. 31. Sandwiched between road trips to Virginia and NC State (with Miami after NCSU), this is a prime letdown spot.
💥 Best Upset Chance: Clemson, Nov. 21. Maybe it’s not much of an upset anymore? But the Tigers could be ripe for the taking again if they struggle this fall and Dabo’s seat gets hot by November.
👉 Explore the complete 2026 Duke Football Schedule, including opponents, game dates, kickoff times and results as they happen.
Recruiting Snapshot
High School Additions: 14
National Class Rank: 71st (247Sports)
Transfer Additions: 19
Transfer Class Rank: 63rd (247Sports)
👉 Read more about Duke Football Recruiting, including 2027 commitments and how the 2026 roster has been shaped.
Class of 2026 Names to Know
EDGE Obinna Umeh – 4-star pass rusher and the No. 45 overall prospect from Texas
QB Terry Walker III – Dual-threat from Indianapolis coming off an ACL injury but had stellar junior high school season.
SAF Lyrik Pettis – Four-year letterwinner for (Shelby) Crest played both ways and was the No. 32 player in North Carolina for 2026
Transfer Names to Know
SAF Patrick Smith-Young (North Texas) – Has 25 career starts at the college level and close to 200 total tackles.
DL Owen Wafle (Penn State) – Spent two seasons as a reserve in the Big Ten, also playing at Michigan
WR Javen Nicholas (Charlotte) – Experienced pass-catcher has played in 38 games with the 49ers and LSU
Three Questions Facing Duke
Can Duke prove the doubters wrong again?
Despite low expectations each year, Duke has finished 9-4, 8-5, 9-4 and 9-5 since 2022, earning multiple bowl victories and an ACC title. Duke isn’t picked any higher than 11th by national pundits heading into 2026. They’ll seek to exceed expectations yet again.
Who will the playmakers be on offense?
The offensive line looks promising and one of the ACC’s top running backs returns in Nate Sheppard, but there are plenty of question marks at quarterback and wide receiver. The Devils will be hard-pressed to average 34+ points per game again.
Can the Blue Devils handle a brutal road schedule
The ACC’s move to a nine-game conference schedule means in some years teams will have to play five league games on the road. This is one of those years for Duke, who must face Georgia Tech, Virginia, NC State, Miami and Wake Forest in hostile environs, as well as an early non-conference test at Illinois.
Best Case/Worst Case
Best: Walker Eget (or Dan Mahan) takes command of the quarterback job, multiple playmakers emerge around him, Manny Diaz’s defense proves stout and the Blue Devils once again leave pundits shaking their heads at another overachieving season.
Worst: There is major regression at the quarterback spot, close games don’t go the Blue Devils’ way like they did in 2025 and Duke comes back down to earth by missing a bowl.
NC Football News Prediction
Record: 7-5
Conference Finish: 5-4
Bowl: Duke returns to Charlotte, but not for the ACC championship game. A spot in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against an SEC opponent would still signifying a solid season.
The Final Word
In the not too distant past, Duke football was one of the bottom feeders in the FBS. The Blue Devils suffered through five winless campaigns between 1996-2007 and managed just one or two wins in seven other seasons during that span.
David Cutcliffe came along in 2008 and lifted the program out of the mire, and Mike Elko and Manny Diaz have continued to build on a strong foundation.
Duke reached one major pinnacle in 2025, winning the school’s first ACC championship since 1989.
Now comes a different challenge: proving the program has staying power.
Duke is good at football. But can the Blue Devils stay good?
Most national pundits predict some pullback in 2026. That is understandable considering a tougher schedule and the departures of star quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Cooper Barkate, who will both be wearing Miami Hurricanes gear this fall.
But we do not foresee a freefall by any stretch. This is a disciplined program that rarely beats itself and has dramatically raised the floor of what should be expected from Duke football.
If the Blue Devils can once again maximize the quarterback position and improve a defense that allowed too many yards and points last season, they could outperform expectations yet again.
And by November, we may once more find ourselves marveling at just how good Duke continues to be in football.
🔗 Duke Football Resources
🏟️ North Carolina FBS Schedules
📅 2026 North Carolina College ‘Master Schedule’ (organized by week)
