Duke Football Names Starting Quarterback For 2026 Season

One of the biggest storylines for the Duke Blue Devils' football program was who would be the starting quarterback for the 2026 season.

It wasn't a question until spring, when Darian Mensah opted to enter the transfer portal and then commit to Miami. It left Duke with some big question marks at the position, following a successful season. 

Fast forward to now, where the battle between transfer Walker Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan is officially over. Duke has named Eget the winner of the quarterback battle as he will start the Week 1 opener against Tulane at home. 

Eget transferred from San Jose State and finished last season throwing for 3,051 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions, completing 59 percent of his passes. He was a good quarterback for San Jose State and opted to transfer to Duke to seek a better situation. 

Head coach Manny Diaz informed his team on Tuesday morning and met the media to alert them of the decision. 

"The team believes that we can win with both guys," Manny Diaz said. "Both guys have a different set of skill sets that we could frame our offense around, but when it all came down to it, it was just about consistency. The team, just given our offseason, needed a starting quarterback. I think they're happy now that they know that Walker is the No. 1."

Earlier in the week, Diaz revealed that this was a big week in terms of a quarterback decision as the Blue Devils wanted to have it locked up. By doing so, it gives Eget more chances to get reps with the first team in preparation of the upcoming season as training camp rolls on. 

Mahan hasn't appeared in a game at all in his career, giving Eget the early advantage. But the battle went down to the wire, and now, it's Eget's turn to take advantage. 

For Duke, they will open up their 2026 season by hosting Tulane on Sept. 5 in Wallace Wade Stadium. It's a rematch of last season's thrilling game in which Tulane beat Duke.