Grading Every Duke Position Group After Week 2 Win Over Illinois

The Duke Blue Devils are riding a ton of momentum following a huge road victory over Illinois this weekend.

Head coach Manny Diaz has once again put his program in a position to compete, and the team has shown promise on both sides of the ball through two weeks.

There was a ton to take away from the Blue Devils' marquee victory in Champaign, as Duke looked much more well-balanced than in Week 1. Let's grade each position group's performance against the Fighting Illini.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Walker Eget (2) poses the ball during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Quarterback: B+

Walker Eget entered this game with some real pressure after a disappointing debut against Tulane, and he delivered. The former San Jose State Spartan wasn't a superstar, but he was exactly the game manager that Duke needed him to be.

Eget looked much more comfortable and organized in the pocket than he did in Week 1, and put together a much-needed bounce-back game, finishing 15-of-21 passing for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He did have to be helped off the field late in the fourth quarter, but was able to return on the next drive.

Eget delivered an excellent performance, and he has proven himself as this team's starting quarterback.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) celebrates his second quarter touchdown with teammates against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Running Back: A+

Duke fans really can't ask for much more from the running back spot with Nate Sheppard and CJ Campbell.

Sheppard is approaching Heisman Trophy discussions, now notching 434 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season. Against Illinois, the sophomore tallied 24 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown, along with five receptions for 41 yards and another two scores. Sheppard has scored five of Duke's six touchdowns this season.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back CJ Campbell (0) runs past Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Mac Resetich (0) and Idefensive back Xavier Scott (1) during the second half at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As expected, his workload was slightly decreased from Week 1, and Rutgers transfer CJ Campbell played a great complementary role. Campbell finished the road win with eight carries for 31 yards.

Duke will be a run-first team this season, and it has a great duo to lead that charge.

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

Wide Receivers: B

Duke's wide receiver corps was an effective part of the offense against the Fighting Illini, which it largely wasn't against Tulane. The unit secured 15 receptions for 206 yards and three touchdowns.

Idaho State transfer Jonah Burton is establishing himself as the WR1, leading the Blue Devils in receiving for the second week in a row. Burton hauled in four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. However, Penn transfer Jared Richardson has still not logged a catch yet this year.

Sep 5, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils tight end Jeremiah Hasley (85) runs the ball against Tulane Green Wave linebacker Jah'rie Garner (48) and Tulane Green Wave cornerback Macho Stevenson (21) during the second half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tight End: B

Star Jeremiah Hasley was more involved than he was in Week 1, securing three receptions for 53 yards. Jake Taylor also had some nice moments, notching a catch for 11 yards.

The tight ends should be a focal point of the offense going forward, and Hasley should start seeing the end zone pretty frequently as the year progresses.

Sep 6, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears offensive lineman Braden Miller (77) moves to block Texas Southern Tigers defensive end Michael Akins (9) during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Offensive Line: C

Tackle transfers Nick Del Grande (Coastal Carolina) and Braden Miller (California) had some costly penalties in the fourth quarter to take the momentum out of Duke's hands, but it luckily didn't cost the team a win.

The unit overall looks solid, but there were some sloppy moments this weekend.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive end Tyshon Reed Jr. (10) and linebacker Nick Morris Jr. (7) celebrate a 31-27 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Defensive Line: B-

The Blue Devils looked stellar up front in Week 1, but weren't nearly as effective against Illinois. Duke didn't have a single sack on Saturday and had one TFL.

Bryce Davis made some nice plays, tallying five total tackles. The depth on Duke's defensive line is still present, but they weren't nearly as dominant in Week 2.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils linebacker Luke Mergott (34) and cornerback Evan Smith (4) tackle Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Hudson Clement (13) during the second half at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Linebackers: B

Similar to the defensive line, Duke's linebacker corps was effective, but not at the level it was in Week 1. Nick Morris Jr. finished second on the team with nine total tackles. Luke Mergott and Kendall Johnson finished with three tackles apiece.

I remain very confident in this linebacker unit going forward, but it looked a little vulnerable against a Big Ten foe.

Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Duke Blue Devils cornerback Dylan Flowers (0) stops Illinois Fighting Illini running back Ca'Lil Valentine (5) near the end zone during the first half at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cornerbacks: B

Illinois star wide receiver Collin Dixon torched Duke's secondary in the first half, but the unit did a good job of limiting his impact in the final two frames. Dixon finished the game with 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns, but most of that production came in the first half.

Kyon Loud and Dylan Flowers seem to be emerging as the Blue Devils' starting cornerbacks, but it was Northwestern transfer Evan Smith who made arguably the play of the game, picking off Illinois QB Katin Houser in the fourth quarter.

Oct 10, 2025; Denton, Texas, USA; South Florida Bulls running back Alvon Isaac (15) is tripped up by North Texas Mean Green safety Patrick Smith-Young (12) during the second half of a game at DATCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Safeties: B

The safeties probably could've been grouped together with the cornerbacks. The unit had its ups and downs, but it was a solid day overall.

DaShawn Stone notched six total tackles, and sophomore Andrew Pellicciotta made some big plays. He led both teams with 11 total tackles and nine solo tackles in the victory. It was a bit sloppy, but Duke looked solid defensively across the board, especially in the second half.

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