Biggest Winners and Losers From Duke Football's First Scrimmage

Let's go over the biggest winners and losers from the Blue Devils' first fall scrimmage.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz on the field before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Duke football program recently had the first scrimmage of its 2026 fall training camp, and there is plenty to take away from the action.

Over the next few weeks, head coach Manny Diaz and his staff have a lot of roster decisions to make before the Blue Devils begin their regular-season schedule against Tulane on Sep. 5 at Wallace Wade Stadium. At this point in camp, it feels like many position groups on the roster are still wide open.

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

However, there was still a lot to take away from Duke's first scrimmage of the fall. Time will tell how pivotal some of these performances were in terms of earning starting spots, but let's go over some of the biggest winners and losers of the team's first scrimmage.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jayden Moore (8) twists from a tackle by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Gavin Gibson (5) during the first half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Winner: Jaivon Solomon

Duke's wide receiver room might be the biggest question mark on the entire team. Penn transfer Jared Richardson and Charlotte transfer Javen Nicholas are generally expected to be the club's top two wideouts in 2026, but the WR3 spot is open for the taking.

Young returners Jaivon Solomon, Jamien Little, and Jayden Moore feel like the next guys up, and it likely will be one of that trio who eventually earns the third starting wide receiver spot. Moore is the only receiver of those three to have caught a pass in a game last season, but it was Solomon who turned heads in the scrimmage.

Aug 28, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jayden Moore (8) runs with the ball after his catch against the Elon Phoenix during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The redshirt freshman snagged three passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns. The Blue Devils compiled four receiving touchdowns in the scrimmage, and Solomon produced half of them.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Eli Wood (82) scores a touchdown to tie the score near the end of the 4th quarter as Duke Blue Devils cornerback Landan Callahan (21) defends during the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Winner: Secondary Unit

Duke's secondary room has plenty of open slots. Earlier in camp, Diaz highlighted that there are no set starters at the position.

"I think you can see even just from today that there's a sense of purpose," Diaz said. "Right, every time that ball's in the air from our secondary. There are no jobs claimed in the secondary. So everybody understands that every time there's a ball thrown, someone's got a chance to earn playing time this year."

Nov 29, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs with the football during the first quarter against Stanford Cardinal safety Che Ojarikre (22) at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although the depth chart still might remain to be decided, the secondary seemed to have performed well in the scrimmage. The unit forced five pass breakups and two interceptions.

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

Winner: Jonathan Brewer

Duke offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer helped produce the best offensive unit in the ACC last season. The Blue Devils led the conference in points per game (34.6) and total touchdowns (63). It seems like the unit has a lot of potential heading into 2026 despite heavy turnover.

We have already discussed the passing attack, but the run game was effective as well, and it could be deep. The RB room as a whole tallied 42 carries for 213 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per run. Yale transfer Wilhelm Daal II led the way with 12 carries for 62 yards, but seven different backs had at least six carries.

Duke will likely have to lean on the run game this fall, and it looks promising.

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

Losers: Walker Eget and Dan Mahan

The Blue Devils are in the midst of a starting quarterback battle between San Jose State transfer Walker Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan.

Although the offense put together explosive plays, neither QB was mentioned as potentially separating themselves in the race. I still believe Eget will win the job, but the competition could be tight.