Duke football is back, and there are storylines galore ahead of the Blue Devils’ Week 1 showdown versus the Tulane Green Wave. Here are five things to watch for as Duke looks to avenge last year’s loss in New Orleans.
1. Who will step up at receiver?
Duke’s starting quarterback Walker Eget has battled serious leg injuries throughout his long career thus far, and the effects of those ailments have still been felt after he transferred from San Jose State to Duke.
We’ve been told that Eget is as healthy as he’s been in some time; however, things like this can change on a dime, and injury misfortune could rear its ugly head again.
It’ll be interesting to see how much head coach Manny Diaz trusts Eget to move around, especially if things get hairy in this one as well. Eget hasn’t been
known to be the most mobile QB in the world, but he will take off if he needs to. Hopefully, he can continue to stay healthy and play at 100%.
2. Who will step up at receiver?
While we technically have a depth chart to tell us who’s starting at wide receiver, every single guy in the room is unproven at this level.
Penn transfer Jared Richardson and Charlotte transfer Javen Nicholas are expected to be key contributors; both players will need to prove they belong on the stage the ACC has to offer.
The depth chart also has Jonah Burton listed as a starter at receiver. The grad-transfer from Idaho State has just 373 career receiving yards, which means he’s a complete wild card.
There are plenty of other guys in the room who could break out, and it’ll be interesting to see who becomes a point of emphasis in Week 1.
3. Can Duke’s defense return to 2024 form?
While this is a question that probably can’t be answered in just one week, the signs could present themselves as they did in 2024 when the Blue Devils had arguably the best unit in the ACC.
Last year’s unit took a step back and still won a conference title. What will 2026 look like for the group?
The front seven looks solid, as do the linebackers; the real question mark on this side of the ball is the secondary, which has a great deal of unproven talent present.
Diaz brought in a slew of transfers to go with some unproven returning production. While the receivers they’ll do battle with probably won’t be the most explosive, this unit will look to build confidence as they head into games against high-level deep threats.
4. Will we see multiple QB’s for Tulane?
Tulane entered the offseason with a rare four-man battle for the team’s QB1 job. Zeon Chriss-Gremillion, a fifth-year player, has had a mixed bag of results during his time at Louisiana and Houston.
If Duke’s defense gives him trouble early, it’ll be interesting to see if backup Kadin Semonza gets a shot to lead the offense.
5. The crowd
Wallace Wade Stadium hasn’t been breaking many attendance records as of late, but could the fuel of an ACC title bring new excitement around the team? I’ll be watching to see if the crowd follows through and shows up in big numbers for what is a relatively high-profile affair.
Duke and Tulane will face off in Durham on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be streamed on ACC Network.
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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Duke football vs. Tulane: 5 storylines to follow
