Duke Football Injury Report Ahead of Week 2 Matchup

The Duke Blue Devils will face their first Power Conference foe of the 2026 regular season this weekend.

Duke will travel to Champaign to take on Illinois, out of the Big Ten, on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm ET.

Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Illinois Football head coach Bret Bielema speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last season, Illinois came to Wallace Wade Stadium in early September and walked away with a convincing 45-19 victory.

Head coach Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils can put the rest of the ACC on notice with a big-time road win over the Fighting Illini. Both clubs look very different from what they did a year ago, and Duke showed some signs of improvement from 2025 in several areas against Tulane.

Here is the current injury report for some key Blue Devils heading into Week 2.

Aug 29, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte 49ers wide receiver Javen Nicholas (5) runs for yards after catch defended by Appalachian State Mountaineers defensive back Zyeir Gamble (5) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Is Javen Nicholas Suiting Up Against Illinois?

Charlotte transfer wide receiver Javen Nicholas joined the Duke program, expected to be one of the top wideouts on the roster. He tallied 60 receptions for 740 yards and five touchdowns in 2025, leading a 1-11 49ers squad in all of those categories.

About an hour and change before Duke kicked off the regular season against Tulane, Nicholas was ruled out for undisclosed reasons. Diaz provided an update on Wednesday on his potential availability this weekend.

Sep 2, 2023; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears wide receiver Jonah Burton (17) is tackled by Texas State Bobcats safety Tory Spears (12) during the second half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“Javen’s still working to get back. Our trainers have not ruled him out yet. Everybody that played against Tulane should be fine for Illinois," Diaz said.

The Blue Devils had a lackluster debut in the passing game, with the unit totaling 13 receptions for 131 yards and zero touchdowns. Idaho State transfer Jonah Burton, who was listed as a co-starter with Nicholas in Duke's first depth chart, was the team's leading receiver against the Green Wave, notching three catches for 38 yards.

Diaz and Co. would certainly like to have Nicholas back sooner rather than later.

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Isiah Canion (4) catches the pass past Duke Blue Devils cornerback Kimari Robinson (5) during the second half of the game at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Micah Sahakian and Kimari Robinson

Offensive lineman Micah Sahakian and cornerback Kimari Robinson were both out against Tulane. Sahakian probably would not have been expected to see the field had he been healthy, but Robinson's absence is one to monitor with so many new faces in the secondary.

“Anyone who missed Tulane — except for the long-term guys, there’s nobody who’s out for Illinois yet. We’re still hopeful to get our full allotment of guys," Diaz also said.

It seems like the Blue Devils are fairly healthy heading into a Week 2 contest with an opportunity to make some noise around the ACC.

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