Tulane Football Schedule Breakdown: Duke

Tulane football is just 25 days away; beginning today, we’ll start analyzing TU’s opponents throughout the 2026 schedule, starting with Duke.

Sept 13, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Former Tulane quarterback, Jake Retzlaff (middle, jumping) celebrates with teammates Jack Hollifield (left, 58) and Arnold Barnes III (right, 20) after scoring a touchdown at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Parker Waters-Tulane Athletics | Tulane Athletics

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Earlier this summer, we at ON SI Tulane predicted what Tulane’s record would be by the end of this year. Although predictions are fun, we want to focus on an analysis of what each opponent brings to the table for Tulane, and what Tulane might need to do to win.

Over the next two weeks, we'll cover each Tulane opponent once per day, every weekday, until the first game of the season.

The ACC Champion

Kicking off week one at Duke is as tough an opener you can ask for if you’re Tulane. The Blue Devils are the reigning ACC champions, and did so with the help of some strange tie-breaker rules last year as a 7-5 team (6-2 in conference play).

Regardless, before Duke was able to take the ACC crown, TU drowned the Blue Devils in a thrilling 34-27 victory at Yulman. That was in Yulman though, this time, Tulane will be travelling to Durham, North Carolina to meet the Blue Devils on their own turf.

The ACC Championship itself feels like the elephant in the room though. At a 7-5 record, Duke had qualified over teams like Miami, Georgia Tech, and Pitt in what was a five-way tie for second place.

Due to some complicated rules regarding strength of schedule, and all five teams finishing 6-2 in conference play, Duke earned themselves a trip to the ACC Championship. They'd go on to beat Virginia in OT, 27-20.

An Offense With More Questions Than Tulane's Own

Duke had an offseason that you would probably call the polar opposite of Tulane's. They virtually retained nobody on offense at skill positions, losing QB and former Greenie, Darian Mensah (Miami) and their top three wide receivers in Cooper Barkate (Miami), Que'Sean Brown (Virginia Tech), and Samir Hagans (drafted).

Duke's projected depth chart lists Jared Richardson (transfer, Penn), Jaivon Solomon (freshman), and Javen Nicholas (transfer, LSU) as their starting three receivers. This is an unproven trio combined with fifth year senior quarterback and San Jose State transfer, Walker Eget.

Eget is a promising QB that threw for 3,051-yards, 17 TDs, and 9 interceptions with a rating of 133.9. He had a solid outing for the Spartans last year, and he'll be looking to continue to trend upward this year. However, we find that Duke might be relying moreso on the run.

Although Duke couldn't retain many of their skill position players on offense, they were at least able to retain their star running back, Nate Sheppard. Sheppard actually used the game against TU last year to make a name for himself, shortly winning the starting job after that.

Sheppard had a monster year for Duke, rushing for 1,132-yards on 200 carries, making him average 5.7-yards per carry. Sheppard will be a handful for this front seven. He racked up four 95+ yard rushing games with two over 150-yards. His best game came against Arizona State in the Sun Bowl, where he tallied 170-yards and a touchdown.

Defense Wins Championships

Another thing Tulane has over Duke is its defense. Duke's defense was abysmal last year, allowing 30.4 points per game (96th in the country), 435.4 yards per game (119th), and 6.3 yards per play (121st).

Duke didn't see any coaching staff changes in their big three (head coach, o-coordinator, d-coordinator), as all three positions head into their third year with the program.

Duke did see an influx of transfers on the defensive side, but none stand out and we're not sure how much of a help they can really be. Think of it as a band-aid over a gushing wound. Regardless of what we think, Duke is looking to improve over last year's defense, and that's not a high bar to clear.

Moving to the opposite sideline in TU, we feel as though they have the tools to dice up this fresh, raw, and new Blue Devil team.

New Tools Get to Shine

On the offensive side of the ball, dangerous playmakers in Destyn “Fat” Hill, Jaylin Lucas, and Dawson Johnson will look to get into a rhythm in a Tulane jersey whilst in North Carolina.

There will be no better opportunity to do that than in week one. When it comes to the dynamic running backs, Duke’s defense ranked 58th in rushing yards per game with 146.3. Lucas, Mo Turner, and transfer Johnnie Daniels will have a perfect chance to dominate the ground.

To compliment those versatile backs, TU will need a physical and tough performance from their offensive line. As of right now, the starting lineup looks to be LT Ryan Mickow, LG Elijah Baker, C John Bock II, RG Gresham Perry, and RT Reese Baker. Mickow being the lone transfer, the line has seen a few shifts and changes, and this is the game to gain some confidence in their respective positions.

A dominant run game and key performances from receivers in Hill and Anthony Brown-Stephens should be vital for them to win this game. In that same breath, the defense must be able to shut down this Duke offense and its star back in Sheppard. If that new and improved defensive line can get after Eget, that’ll make his life that much harder, with no reliable run game to fall back on.

Friday, we take a look at Tulane's game two opponent: South Alabama.