What Win Over William & Mary Proved for Duke Football's Future

Sep 26, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz reacts during the first quarter against the William & Mary Tribe at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Win Over William & Mary Proved for Duke Football's Future

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Hugh Straine | Last updated Sep 27, 2026 7:30 AM ET

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The Duke football program is heading into its bye week on a high note.

Duke took down FCS William & Mary 62-7 on Saturday to improve to 4-0 on the year and position itself at the top of the ACC standings. After Wake Forest beat Louisville this weekend, the top of the league behind Miami really feels up in the air.

The Blue Devils were in full control the entire time against the Tribe, as expected. The lopsided victory gave many young guys some extended time on the field and let them make some plays. One performance showed that head coach Manny Diaz and his staff are set for this position long-term.

Dan Mahan Looks Smooth in Outing Against William & Mary

Walker Eget played conservatively, which makes sense given how quickly the game got out of hand. The San Jose State transfer finished 16-of-22 passing for 182 yards and two scores. Mahan then came in to relieve Eget of his duties. Considering this was the first real quarterback action Mahan has gotten in his collegiate career, he was extremely impressive.

The redshirt freshman only threw seven passes, but he completed six of them for 126 yards and three touchdowns, along with two rushes for 13 yards. So far this season, Mahan has mainly used his legs in the limited action he's gotten, but he looked like a legitimate starting quarterback for a Power Conference team on Saturday.

Granted, it was against an FCS opponent, but with how little in-game action Mahan had up to this point, how seemingly easily he delivered throws and looked comfortable out there says a lot about the future.

Duke let the deep ball fly on Saturday more consistently than it had so far, and Diaz and offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer were able to try new sets with Mahan being a threat with his legs.

No QB Controversy, but Duke Is Set for Future

This isn't to raise some idea that Duke might face a quarterback controversy at some point this season; Eget has performed well enough to keep the starting job. However, it does show that Duke has a guy waiting on the sidelines, ready to take over the position in a year.

Eget isn't a runner, and we got flashes of what this Duke offense can be with a true dual-threat quarterback like Mahan on the field. He probably won't see much more action in 2026, but Diaz and Co. got some flashes of their potential quarterback of the future in the win over the Tribe.