How Diaz, Duke Managed Camp With Walker Eget Rehab

The Duke Blue Devils decided on a starting quarterback for the 2026 season earlier this week.

Head coach Manny Diaz and his staff named San Jose State transfer Walker Eget the team's starter over redshirt freshman Dan Mahan. That was expected, but the position battle still remained prevalent throughout fall camp.

Eget had been dealing with an injury he sustained in the 2025 season, which kept him mostly limited through the spring.

Sep 27, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback Walker Eget (5) throws the football during the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Walker Eget Injury History

Eget tore his ACL in October 2024 and suffered a knee injury late in the 2025 season. The California native underwent offseason surgery, which kept him out of spring practices. He was granted a waiver by the NCAA for a sixth season of eligibility in February.

Eget was healthy for the fall with the Blue Devils and will enter his final season of college football with a fair amount of pressure on him. After Duke lost star quarterback Darian Mensah to the transfer portal at the last second, the program was sent into a spiral as it looked for a replacement.

Nov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback Walker Eget (5) throws against the Stanford Cardinal in the second quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The 6'3" signal-caller threw for over 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns, along with 19 interceptions over two seasons as the starting quarterback at San Jose State. He has displayed talent, but has yet to prove it at the Power Conference level.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz 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

How Duke Monitored Eget's Injury in Camp

In a recent press conference, Diaz noted how the team got Eget reps in practice as he continued to return to full health.

"We don't tackle our quarterbacks in training camp and that's been the deal year by year," Diaz said. "But, what we were able to do is we were able to sort of amp up the amount of pressure that he saw over training camp and when we were in alignment with our medical staff of what's best for his rehab, our strength staff, in terms of drills that they did and reactions."

Nov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose State Spartans wide receiver Nick Nash (3) and quarterback Walker Eget (5) talk after their win over the Stanford Cardinal at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

"And all signs that, every time if there was a benchmark of monitoring his health and his ability to take the next step, he passed it every single time."

The Blue Devils are under a week away from kicking off the 2026 regular season against Tulane on Sept. 5, and as one could expect, one of the biggest storylines fans will be monitoring is the new starting quarterback and how Duke's offense will look a year after being arguably the most prolific unit in the ACC.

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