Duke Football Position Battle Rankings: Where Everyone Stands After Camp

The Duke Blue Devils entered their 2026 training camp with questions at several different positions on the roster.

After a slew of key departures forced head coach Manny Diaz and his staff to rebuild through the portal, there are many unknowns with this Duke club heading into the 2026 college football season.

Manny Diaz, head football coach at Duke, shouts during the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Arizona State at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Some position battles entering camp were more prominent than others, but there were several important ones that felt tight entering camp.

With Duke's opening game just about two weeks away (Sept. 5 against Tulane), some of these battles still feel unsettled. Let's go through a few key position groups and where the battles could stand now that fall camp has concluded.

Quarterback

Diaz said at the beginning of camp that the quarterback battle between San Jose State transfer Walker Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan could go on for a while, and it doesn't seem like the staff has picked a starting quarterback yet.

There wasn't much buzz throughout fall camp that either Eget or Mahan had separated themselves, but one has to think that this past week of camp saw one of them separate himself at least by a slim margin.

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

Eget and Mahan have totally different bodies of work to evaluate. Eget was a two-year starter at San Jose State, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in that span. Mahan hasn't played in a game yet, but shows a lot of promise.

For now, I'd give the nod to Eget, so long as he's healthy, simply because he has the starting experience. However, that doesn't mean this competition won't persist throughout the regular season.

Update: Duke has named Walker Eget its starting quarterback.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jayden Moore (8) follows a blocker downfield during the first half against the North Carolina Tar at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Third Starting Wide Receiver

We've discussed throughout camp that Duke's wide receiver room is essentially one big question mark after the program lost its top three wideouts from last season. Penn transfer Jared Richardson and Charlotte transfer Javen Nicholas seem to be the leaders to earn the top two receiver spots, but the third is up in the air.

Returners Jaivon Solomon, Jamien Little, and Jayden Moore seem to be in contention to earn the spot. Solomon was productive in Duke's first scrimmage, catching three passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Little notched four receptions for 22 yards in the team's second scrimmage. Moore is the only one of the trio to have caught a pass in a game last season.

This battle still feels pretty up in the air after the conclusion of camp.

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

Secondary

Before camp, Diaz said there were "no jobs claimed" in the secondary. Even if that's still the case, the Blue Devils still have depth in the defensive backfield.

I still suspect returners Landan Callahan and Kimari Robinson to be the starters at corner, with DaShawn Stone and North Texas transfer Patrick Smith-Young as the starters at safety. The Blue Devils have depth beyond that, however, with guys like Andrew Pellicciotta, Montana transfer Kyon Loud, and Western Kentucky transfer Dylan Flowers.

The Blue Devils will probably have to be a defense-led team this season, and that side of the ball shows a lot of promise.

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