3 Best Players Duke Football Will Face on 2026 Schedule

The Duke Blue Devils will look to show resilience and defend their ACC Championship this fall as they face more important expectations for the first time in many years.

Head coach Manny Diaz has done a remarkable job getting the best out of his program for the past two years. Now, he faces his toughest challenge as the leader of the Blue Devils football team, establishing competition throughout the team ahead of Week 1 next month against the Tulane Green Wave.

Diaz Duk — Oct 18, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on prior to the first half of the game against Florida State at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Duke will have to take on some great players throughout the season, and their offense must find its focal point to defeat the best defenders in the country. With that in mind, here are three superstars the Blue Devils will face this season.

WR Malachi Toney, Miami Hurricanes

Not only is Toney one of the best players on the Blue Devils' schedule, but he is likely the best player they face this season, period. The sophomore had one of the best debut seasons by a college football athlete you could have, catching 109 passes for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns, including a rushing score and two passing touchdowns.

Toney is a threat anytime he touches the ball; this isn't another Rondale Moore hype train, as Toney possesses legitimate traits that could make him a future NFL star when he is eligible for the 2028 draft. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke will have to not only game-plan for former quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate but also take accountability for where Toney is on the field at all times.

LB Sammy Brown, Clemson Tigers

Brown Duke — Dec 27, 2025; Bronx, NY, USA; Clemson Tigers safety Ronan Hanafin (5) celebrates after a defensive stop with linebacker Sammy Brown (47) during the first half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The best linebacker to come through Clemson could be Sammy Brown, a former 5-star recruit coming off a great year with the Tigers, despite their 7-6 record in 2025, with 106 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and five pass breakups. This is a phenomenal talent who has a chance to be a wrecking ball for opposing offenses from the second level of the defense.

The Blue Devils host the Tigers in what will likely be Senior Night, which means Brown will be coming into a potentially rowdy crowd in Durham. It is hard to contain a defender like Brown, and no matter what offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer does, he'll make his mark. It will be up to Duke's offense to produce big plays despite it.

EDGE Melkart Abou Jaoude, North Carolina Tar Heels

In his first year with the Tar Heels, Abou Jaoude was a force despite the program's struggles, including a three-game stretch of at least two sacks. He finished the year with 10.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, earning All-ACC honors. This season, the redshirt senior is expected to be one of the top forces Duke will face this season.

Like Brown, Abou Jaoude will be the road warrior against the Blue Devils in their midseason matchup against cross-triangle rival UNC. Nick Del Grande and Braden Miller will be in one of their biggest fights of the season, and locking down "MAJ" will be a tall order in this intriguing game.

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