Duke Star Sends Cryptic Social Media Message

Duke's season has unraveled in recent weeks, falling to a 5-5 record after consecutive losses on the road at UConn and at home against Virginia. The Cavaliers came into Durham last Saturday and stopped the Blue Devils, 34-17, and neither side of the ball showed up for Duke.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz on the field for warm up before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Manny Diaz built an offense that has been capable of scoring plenty of points, but the defense often fails to hold up its end of the deal. That can make losing more frustrating than it already is.

Darian Mensah has often played like one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He's thrown for 3,007 yards, 25 touchdowns and four interceptions this season while guiding the Blue Devils to 33.4 points per game.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) and teammates run onto the field for warm up before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The offense has been far from the driving issue this season. As a matter of fact, the scoring unit might have been what's kept Duke in the ACC race this long, despite a .500 record. However, that doesn't always mean everyone will be happy.

Nate Sheppard Sends Cryptic Social Media Post Following Loss to Virginia

Nov 15, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarter back Darian Mensah (10) hands the ball to Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

True freshman running back Nate Sheppard has been a revelation this season. Coming into the season behind veteran running backs Jaquez Moore and Anderson Castle on the depth chart, Sheppard has quickly found his footing and established himself as the lead back.

Sheppard has rushed for 700 yards and seven touchdowns this season, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He's also made 24 catches out of the backfield for 154 yards and one score.

Oct 4, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) high steps into the end zone for a touchdown ahead of California Golden Bears defensive back Cam Sidney (20) during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Duke's philosophy on offense under offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer has been to be aggressive in the air, with the ground game taking a bit of a backseat and used more as a tendency breaker. It's worked to good effect for most of the season, but not always.

In Saturday's loss to Virginia, Sheppard had 12 carries for just 43 yards. The Blue Devils didn't attempt to run the ball with intent until their fourth possession of the game after three consecutive three-and-out punts.

Sep 27, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) tries to break a tackle by Syracuse Orange defensive lineman Nathan Nyandoro (30) in the fourth quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

After the game, Sheppard took to social media to seemingly voice his displeasure with the loss.

🤧
— Nate Sheppard (@NateShep20) November 16, 2025

Chandler Rivers, Duke's top defensive back who made a diving interception against the Cavaliers, responded to the star running back's post, "Love twin." Sheppard responded to that with a blue heart.

Social media is a very cryptic game at times, and it can be difficult to discern a player's true intentions from a simple emoji post. However, Sheppard's post came quickly after a game where he was again not featured consistently.

Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) hands the ball off to Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The previous week, Sheppard's father, Willie Sheppard, shared a post from a fellow Duke fan hoping to see the freshman tailback earn more carries. The elder Sheppard seemed to agree and show some disappointment in his son's usage.

I mean......smh https://t.co/63SOjwBvIr
— Willie Sheppard (@WillieShepJr) November 8, 2025

The Blue Devils must have listened, because Sheppard turned that game into one of his best this season. On 16 carries, Sheppard ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns as the Blue Devils went back-and-forth with the Huskies before ultimately falling short.

In this day and age, where players transfer frequently, many Duke fans have become concerned that Sheppard's perceived unhappiness could lead to his departure from Durham.

THE NATE TRAIN HAS LEFT THE STATION! pic.twitter.com/jDQN1Jq6Mv
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) October 5, 2025

Last season, Duke saw another standout running back leave through the transfer portal, as Star Thomas transferred to Tennessee. Sheppard would command a big recruitment if he were to enter his name into the portal, thanks to a surprising season with the Blue Devils.

Again, this could be nothing to worry about and Sheppard could stay in Durham for next season. But it could also become a hole that the Blue Devils would have to scramble to resolve.

Sep 27, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) carries the ball in the second quarter against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

With Castle and Moore both graduating and two freshmen running backs currently committed to Diaz's upcoming recruiting class, the position in the backfield could be in peril if Sheppard's disappointment led to a transfer.

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