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- Duke names graduate transfer Walker Eget as starting quarterback for opener against Tulane Duke is turning to San Jose State graduate transfer Walker Eget as its starting quarterback.

- What Duke football's second scrimmage could reveal: This position battle could shift after Duke's second scrimmage of camp.

- The Duke football program has a lot to figure out from a roster standpoint before it kicks off the regular season against Tulane on Sep. - Head coach Manny Diaz and his staff have retooled a once-depleted roster, but with so many unproven guys at different positions, they will have to figure out which guys will be heavy contributors throughout fall camp.

- This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Biggest Winners and Losers From Duke Football's First Scrimmage.

- Duke's schedule is materially tougher than last season, and the roster no longer has the same veteran core or Clayborne. - The quarterback situation remains unsettled after losing Mensah: San Jose State transfer Walker Eget missed spring work while recovering from an ACL injury and is still competing with a freshman. - Despite those concerns, the analyst has a small numbers-based lean to the over on Duke's 5.5-win total because of a low evaluation of several other teams on the schedule; it was framed as a lean rather than a strong bet.

- Duke named Walker Eget its starting quarterback after a competition with Dan Mahan, giving Jonathan Brewer an experienced transfer with 18 starts, 5,563 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. - Nate Sheppard remains the centerpiece at running back after a 1,132-yard, 11-touchdown freshman season, while freshman Jayvian Tanelus earned the third spot after rushing eight times for 38 yards in the final camp scrimmage. - Penn transfer Jared Richardson is the only first-listed wide receiver without an OR designation and brings 193 career catches, 2,505 yards and 27 touchdowns, while Duke's other two receiver spots remain contested. - Duke's projected offensive line owns 98 combined career starts but only 43 at Duke, with Coastal Carolina transfer Nick Del Grande at left tackle and former Michigan State and California lineman Braden Miller at right tackle. - Three of Duke's four first-listed defensive backs are new starters, with DaShawn Stone the established returner and portal additions supplying experienced depth behind the projected secondary.

- Duke's defense was effective on early downs but repeatedly broke down on third-and-long, creating an obvious efficiency problem for Manny Diaz to correct. - The linebacker group now has more game experience after young players were forced into action last season, improving confidence in both its blitz and coverage responsibilities. - The secondary lost multiple contributors and appears to be leaning on returning starter Kamar Robinson, younger internal options and portal additions viewed primarily as depth.

- TE: Duke TE Jeremiah Halsey tries to use his voice in the locker room, but said Nate Sheppard is doing the same thing.

- RB: Duke RB Nate Sheppard praised his offensive front, saying they're coming along great so far.

- RB: Nate Sheppard said earlier today that he is leading by example and being a vocal presence.

- Duke's secondary enters 2026 under open competition after allowing a 67.2 percent completion rate, 276.8 passing yards per game, 8.4 yards per attempt and a 45.4 percent third-down conversion rate last season. - DaShawn Stone remains the secondary's established leader after starting all 14 games and recording 86 tackles in 2025, with Duke aiming to use his physicality closer to the line of scrimmage. - The primary corner competition features veteran transfer Dylan Flowers, physical Montana transfer Kyon Loud and returners Kimari Robinson and Landan Callahan, with all four expected to have rotational paths. - Sophomore safety Andrew Pellicciotta is positioned for a larger role after playing 357 snaps with 26 tackles, an interception and two pass breakups as a true freshman. - Transfers Patrick Smith-Young and Che Ojarikre give Duke package flexibility because Smith-Young can play safety or near the box while Ojarikre is cross-training between corner and safety roles.

- Luke Mergott returns as Duke's most proven linebacker after recording 90 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two interceptions across 837 snaps in 2025, but improved depth should reduce his workload. - Nick Morris Jr. is healthy after season-ending injuries limited him to five games over the past two years, giving Duke a potential veteran starting tandem with Mergott if Morris can remain available. - Kendall Johnson brings 26 games and 648 snaps of experience to the linebacker rotation after producing 37 tackles, three tackles for loss and four quarterback pressures in 2025 despite missing four regular-season games. - Sophomore Bradley Gompers is pushing for a starter-level share of snaps as his 6-foot-5 frame, athleticism and growing scheme comfort translate into more instinctive play. - Duke expects Mergott, Morris, Johnson, Gompers, Elliott Schaper and Will Felder Jr. to form a primary six-man linebacker rotation that can stabilize a defense replacing all four defensive-line starters.

- Duke chose San Jose State transfer Walker Eget for his consistency and passing experience after he cleared every benchmark in his knee rehabilitation and used fall camp to operate the offense at full speed. - Duke expects Eget to manage the offense and distribute to a rebuilt receiving corps, while mobile backup Dan Mahan remains available for a specialized quarterback-run package. - Both Duke and Tulane bring strong running-back rooms but rebuilt lines and secondary combinations into the rematch, making pressure response and avoidance of negative plays central to the matchup.