Duke Football Stock Report: 2 Risers, Fallers After Illinois Win

Here's who boosted his stock against Illinois, and who maybe went the other direction.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Duke Blue Devils picked up a huge road victory on Saturday, defeating Illinois 31-27 in Champaign.

The Blue Devils didn't necessarily come into this contest expected to win it, but it was certainly a winnable game. However, few probably would've expected Duke to win in the offensive shootout it was.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz, left, on the sidelines against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the first half at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Quarterback Walker Eget was extremely impressive and deserves a ton of credit after a sloppy debut against Tulane. The Blue Devils' offense as a whole looked like a well-oiled machine, and star sophomore running back Nate Sheppard might legitimately be in the Heisman Trophy discussion after Week 2.

There was a lot to take away from Duke's road win over the Fighting Illini. Let's break down two stock risers and fallers.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jonah Burton (6) runs the ball past Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Xavier Scott (1) and defensive back Tywan Cox (32) during the second half at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Riser: WR Jonah Burton

Idaho State transfer Jonah Burton wasn't a receiver who I was talking a lot about throughout the summer and fall camp, but he has arguably turned into Duke's best receiving threat through its first two games of the 2026 campaign.

Burton was once again the team's leading receiver, notching four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown against Illinois. He could've had a deep touchdown grab in Week 1 as well, but Eget missed him.

Burton didn't seem like a guy many were buying early stock in during the offseason, but he has made a name for himself in Duke's receiver room.

Sep 5, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) and Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jared Richardson (17) celebrate Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard's (20) touchdown against the Tulane Green Wave during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Faller: WR Jared Richardson

Sticking with the wide receiver position, Penn transfer wideout Jared Richardson has been fairly disappointing through the team's first couple of outings.

It looked like Richardson was primed to take over the Blue Devils' WR1 duties this season; he definitely had the best collegiate resume of any receiver on the team. Richardson tallied 193 catches for 2,505 yards and 27 touchdowns in four years with the Quakers.

However, we are now through the Blue Devils' first two games of the regular season, and Richardson has yet to record a catch. It's hard to imagine that Richardson won't become a regular part of the passing attack sooner or later, but he has yet to make his presence felt.

Sep 27, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons (12) tries to avoid a tackle by Duke Blue Devils safety Andrew Pellicciotta (35) in the fourth quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Riser: S Andrew Pellicciotta

I thought sophomore safety Andrew Pellicciotta looked great today, making some solid tackles during his time on the field. Pellicciotta recorded a game-high 11 total tackles and nine solo tackles in the win.

The Blue Devils' safety room with Pellicciotta, DaShawn Stone, and Patrick Smith-Young looks very strong early on. Duke didn't look great defensively for the majority of this game, but Pellicciotta made some big plays that might have gone unnoticed.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris (11) attempts to catch the ball in the end zone as Duke Blue Devils cornerback Landan Callahan (21) and safety Dashawn Stone (8) defend in the fourth quarter during the ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Faller: WR Jaivon Solomon

We're right back at the wide receiver spot. Heading into the year, the receiving corps was probably the biggest question mark on the team, with so many guys seemingly battling for time on the field. After two weeks, we now have a better sense of which guys made a step forward in camp and which guys maybe did not. It doesn't look like Solomon made that leap.

Solomon has not logged a catch this season, and the redshirt freshman is still searching for his first reception in a Duke uniform. As a guy I bought a lot of stock in through fall camp, his presence has not been felt so far.