One Duke Football Position Battle Has Already Taken Interesting Turn

Throughout the next few weeks, there will be several prominent position battles to follow with the Duke football program.

The Blue Devils are about three weeks into their fall training camp and about three weeks from their regular season opener against Tulane on Sep. 5 at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Jul 17, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke head coach Manny Diaz talks with the media during interviews at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With so many newcomers and unknowns at so many different position groups, many new faces and returners will be battling it out for higher spots on the depth chart over the next few weeks.

The biggest position battle on the entire roster comes at the quarterback spot. San Jose State transfer Walker Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan are "duking" it out for the starting QB spot, and head coach Manny Diaz previously said that it could be a while before a starter is decided.

Diaz recently provided an update on the position, and it doesn't look like either candidate has separated himself.

Sep 6, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; San Jose State Spartans quarterback Walker Eget (5) passes the ball during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seemingly No Separation in Duke Quarterback Battle

In a recent press conference, Diaz provided an update on the QB battle between Eget and Mahan. As of now, it seems like both signal callers are neck and neck in the race.

"You know, we're not even considering the separation aspect of it," Diaz said. "We're looking at Walker [Eget] and Dan [Mahan] and, are they able to move the football and execute in our offense? They certainly both have slightly differing skill sets, and, you know, now you have a chance to, maybe this week, really try to highlight each of their strengths."

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Dan Mahan (12) runs out before the first half of the game against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"But, I think the team believes in both guys and I think they both have enough evidence of what they've done in the first 11 practices to show that they can quarterback the team. What it's going to come down to as we get to the weekend, again, is who can eliminate the negative plays. The decisions that really have a chance to impact winning and losing."

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

QB Decision Could Be Far From Settled

It seems like the battle between Eget and Mahan is far from over, and both have shown flashes throughout the early portion of fall camp.

The QB battle will be interesting to monitor as the Blue Devils evaluate a veteran in Eget, who has two seasons of starting quarterback experience with the Spartans but has never done it at the Power Conference level, and Mahan, the dual-threat redshirt freshman with a lot of promise but no in-game action.

With several prominent battles among the roster, the quarterback duel should remain at the top of most fans' radars as we move through fall camp.

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