The Duke Blue Devils still have one major need to address in the transfer portal.
The Duke Blue Devils have already bagged four commits in the transfer portal, nabbing cornerbacks Dylan Flowers and Kyon Loud, tight end Nate Kurisky and wide receiver Jared Richardson.
Head coach Manny Diaz surely isn't done, and he is likely more focused on the defensive side of the ball, where Duke largely struggled in 2025.
However, there is one more area offensively that the Blue Devils need to address: running back.
Yes, Duke boasts one of the nation's brightest young stars in Nate Sheppard, who racked up 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry as a true freshman in 2025. He also caught 37 passes for 286 yards and a score.
But the problem is that the Blue Devils no longer have any depth behind him.
Anderson Castle and Jaquez Moore served as Duke's backup halfbacks this past season, and both made an impact. Castle in particular was effective, punching in 11 scores on the ground.
Unfortunately, the eligibility of both Castle and Moore has expired, leaving the Blue Devils with virtually nothing behind Sheppard.
Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard. Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images.As impressive as Sheppard is, he needs some assistance, so Diaz will have to go out and find it in the portal in the coming weeks.
The Blue Devils have been linked to former Auburn running back Durell Robinson, who didn't play much for the Tigers in 2025 but registered 731 yards and eight touchdowns on 6.8 yards per attempt at UConn the season prior.
Otherwise, we haven't heard too much about Duke's efforts to land a backfield partner for Sheppard, but the Blue Devils should be making a strong push to do so.
Duke's offense was very explosive this past year thanks much in part to Sheppard, but also because of quarterback Darian Mensah. Mensah was one of the top signal-callers in the country in 2025, and his connection with wide receiver Cooper Barkate was brilliant.
But in order to unlock Mensah to the fullest in 2026, the Blue Devils will need a dynamic rushing attack, and that will require more depth at the halfback position.
We'll see if Diaz makes a move to add another running back as we get deeper into the offseason.
Duke went 9-5 and won the ACC championship this year, representing the school's first outright title since 1962. It also defeated Arizona State in the Sun Bowl.