Biggest Surprise From Duke Football's First Practice

Duke opened up fall camp earlier this week.

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

The Duke Blue Devils began their 2026 fall camp earlier this week as the program gears up to defend its first ACC Championship since 1989.

A myriad of question marks surround head coach Manny Diaz and his staff as the regular season draws closer, as several position groups on the roster remain undetermined.

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

Diaz highlighted that the secondary position is wide open, as the program lost a ton of production from last season, including Chandler Rivers, Caleb Weaver, and Terry Moore (although Moore did not play in 2025).

However, given the sheer importance of the position, the quarterback battle is probably the most prominent on the team. San Jose State transfer Walker Eget was generally viewed as the projected starter throughout the offseason, but Diaz has now said that it could be a while before a starter is determined.

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

No Timeline for Duke Quarterback Battle

Following the Blue Devils' first day of fall camp, here's what Diaz had to say about the QB competition between Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan.

"Dan and Walker both took reps with the first group today," Diaz said. "That's the first time that Walker's seen somewhat of a rush since last season. So, you know, you've got one guy who's got a lot of promise who hasn't done it yet, and you got one guy who's got a lot of production who's just getting into our offense and learning."

"If it's an hour before kickoff, that'd be great. If it's anything earlier than that, that'll be great too. But we have to see and we just have to get through this training camp," Diaz later added when asked about a potential timeline for deciding the team's starting quarterback.

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

Quarterback Battle Could Be More Prominent Than Originally Anticipated

Although it was never set in stone that Eget would be the team's starter, he seemed to be viewed as the favorite to win the job. Now, it potentially looks like it could be more of a competition, at least more so than I was expecting.

Diaz described the dynamic well: he has one quarterback with a lot of collegiate production but has yet to do it at the ACC level, and he has a young talent in Mahan who hasn't done it on the field yet.

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

Eget is still working back to full health, but this could turn into a legitimate battle between the veteran and young talent.