Best-Case, Worst-Case for Duke After Walker Eget Named Starting QB

After a battle for the starting quarterback spot that lasted through Duke football's fall training camp, the program has come to a decision.

Duke named San Jose State transfer Walker Eget its starting quarterback on Friday after he beat out redshirt freshman Dan Mahan for the spot. Eget has two years of starting experience with the Spartans, accumulating over 5,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns in that span.

Jul 17, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke head coach Manny Diaz talks with the media during interviews at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There wasn't a ton of buzz throughout camp about whether Eget or Mahan had potentially taken a lead in the battle, but Eget was always generally expected to win the role.

Now that head coach Manny Diaz and his staff have named their starting QB, let's go over the outlook for Duke this season.

Nov 1, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback Walker Eget (5) passes the football against the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine during the first quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Best-Case: Walker Eget Translates Immediately to ACC Level

I always presumed that Eget would win the starting job because he had prior starting experience, which Mahan did not. However, the knock on Eget is that he is totally unproven at the Power Conference level.

In 2025, with San Jose State, Eget threw for 3,051 yards to go along with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions for an SJSU squad that finished 3-9 overall. Despite the team's lack of success, Eget showed some promise in his game.

Nov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback Walker Eget (5) throws against the Stanford Cardinal in the second quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The California native threw for over 300 yards in six games and didn't notch an interception from Sept. 20 to Nov. 8.

Obviously, the best-case scenario for the Blue Devils with Eget in 2026 is that he translates to ACC-level football right away. Duke is making a big transition from Darian Mensah, arguably the best quarterback in the conference last season, to an unproven signal-caller who has shown a lot of talent at the mid-major level.

The Blue Devils' offense is filled with question marks at other positions besides quarterback. Regardless, QB is the most important position on the field. Duke led the ACC in points per game (34.6) and total touchdowns (63) last season. Ideally, Eget can keep the program afloat offensively. It's hard not to believe Duke will take at least a somewhat step back on that side of the ball, but how big that step is will be crucial to the team's ceiling.

Sep 6, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback Walker Eget (5) passes the ball during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Worst-Case: Duke Offense Takes Drastic Step Back

As one might guess, the worst-case scenario for Duke in this situation is that the offensive step back is significant, and Duke is unable to generate consistent scoring.

Realistically, heading into the 2026 season, Duke isn't widely expected to be much of a contender in the ACC, let alone on a national scale. However, a lot of that stems from the unproven guys on the roster. Eget is one of those guys.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Dan Mahan (12) celebrates defeating the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Eget is unable to lead Duke to a consistently effective offense, it will be really difficult for the Blue Devils to compete near the top of the ACC standings once again. The Blue Devils are likely to be a defense-led team in 2026, but the offense still has to pull its weight.

As long as he's healthy, Eget has the game to lead Duke all season, but early struggles could unleash the idea of giving Mahan a chance to run the show.

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