CFB analyst expects another big season from Duke football in 2026

Duke is coming off a magical season, winning the ACC title outright for the first time since 1962 and putting up another nine-win season. The Blue Devils were also hit hard due to the transfer portal, with quarterback Darian Mensah and his favorite target, wide receiver Cooper Barkate, ending up at Miami. Despite that, there is reason for optimism heading into Manny Diaz’s third season in charge, including the return of running back Nate Sheppard, who shattered freshman rushing records last season by running for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns, and the arrival of quarterback Walker Eget, who threw for 3,051 yards and 17 touchdowns for San Jose State last season.

CBS Sports’ Austin Nivison is extremely high on what the Blue Devils can do for an encore, stating that Diaz’s squad has a chance to match their win total from last season even without Mensah. It's reasonable to expect a big drop off from the Blue Devils because of that, but is it insane to think they could hit nine wins again? Diaz has already proven he can patch together a nine-win team with duct tape and super glue, having led the Maalik Murphy-led team there in 2024.

The ACC isn't exactly a gauntlet either. Another nine-win season would put Diaz in rare territory at Duke and, unfortunately, would likely have other schools trying to hire him away. This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: CFB analyst expects another big season from Duke football in 2026