Buy or Sell: Evaluating Hype on Duke QB Walker Eget

Duke football newcomer Walker Eget has some big shoes to fill heading into his first season in Durham.

The former San Jose Spartan is hunting for the starting quarterback job to take over for Darian Mensah, Duke's starting QB last season, who was also the best at his position in the entire Atlantic Coast Conference.

Jul 15, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Miami quarterback Darian Mensah speaks to the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mensah led the ACC in passing yards (3,973) and passing touchdowns (34) while tossing just six interceptions. He led a Duke offense that led the conference in points per game (34.6) and total touchdowns (63), en route to securing the program's first ACC Championship since 1989.

Head coach Manny Diaz has said the quarterback battle between Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan is open, but I give the nod to Eget right now due to his experience at the position. Should Duke fans be buying the hype?

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

Why Duke Fans Should Buy Hype on Walker Eget

Walker Eget spent four seasons at San Jose State, serving as the starting quarterback for two of them. In two seasons as a starter, Eget threw for 5,555 passing yards, along with 30 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

Now, one of the main knocks on Eget is that he lacks any experience at the Power Conference level, as do many of the Blue Devils' incoming transfers expected to fill big roles.

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

Eget's Big Arm Is Intriguing

However, Eget's big arm presents a lot of intrigue. In 2025, the California native threw for over 300 yards passing in six games and over 400 yards in two. He also didn't throw an interception from Sep. 20 to Nov. 8, tossing 15 touchdowns in the process.

Eget certainly has the talent; it's just a matter of whether he can translate to ACC-level football. In offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer's air-raid scheme, it could work well.

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

Mensah ranked fourth in the AAC in passing yards as a redshirt freshman in 2024 with Tulane. He then went on to lead the ACC in passing yards the next season. Maalik Murphy, Duke's 2024 starter, ranked sixth in the ACC in his lone season with the program in passing yards per game at 244.4.

Eget has displayed the arm talent to make big plays downfield, and that is what this Duke offense calls for at times. Now, his health remains a big factor in all of this, but the intrigue is there with Eget at the ACC level.

Duke has a favorable schedule in 2026, and Eget has the talent to lead the Blue Devils offensively.

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