What Conclusion of Duke's Fall Camp Showed Before Week 1

The Duke Blue Devils have wrapped up their 2026 fall training camp. Duke will enter the regular season as reigning ACC champions for the first time in over 30 years.

Duke has won nine games in each of head coach Manny Diaz's first two years at the helm. Now, this might be his toughest job yet in terms of exceeding expectations, but Diaz has given no reason yet for Duke fans to doubt that he will do it.

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

Diaz has maximized the talent he has been allotted in each of his first two seasons. Now, heading into 2026, there is certainly talent throughout the roster, but with so many new players, it's tough to feel at ease from a fan's standpoint.

There were several positions on the roster that felt up in the air heading into camp. Now that camp has concluded following the team's second scrimmage, this position battle could still be very much in the air.

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

Duke Still Might Not Be Set on Starting Quarterback

The Blue Devils entered fall camp with a starting quarterback battle between San Jose State transfer Walker Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan. Diaz laid out early in camp that the battle could go on for a while.

When asked about a potential timeline for deciding a starter early in camp, Diaz said, "If it's an hour before kickoff, that'd be great. If it's anything earlier than that, that'll be great too. But we have to see and we just have to get through this training camp."

With the full camp now over, it doesn't seem like either Eget or Mahan has potentially taken the lead.

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

Diaz Deciding Between Production and Potential

Eget and Mahan entered the battle with two very different resumes. Eget spent four seasons with the Spartans, totaling over 5,000 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns in two seasons as a starter. Mahan has never taken a snap in a game, but possesses a lot of potential as a dual-threat QB.

Even though not much has been made public about the battle throughout camp, I'd still suspect Eget will be named the Week 1 starter given his past experience as a starting QB, even though he is unproven at the ACC level.

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

However, that doesn't mean that a "battle" won't persist throughout the regular season. If Eget gets off to a slow start through the first few games of the season, maybe Diaz makes a switch and gives Mahan a chance to run the show.

Who knows when a starter will be named, but after the conclusion of fall camp, that position still remains up in the air.

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