{
  "id": 173952,
  "title": "3 questions facing Duke's offense as fall camp begins",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/3-questions-facing-dukes-offense-as-fall-camp-begins",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-05T12:30:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/3-questions-facing-dukes-offense-123052042.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As Duke's 2026 fall camp kicks off on Wednesday, the team aims to defend its ACC championship title following their thrilling overtime victory against Virginia last season. The departure of key players Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate has left the offense with several questions to address. With Manny Diaz providing insight during the camp, here are the main concerns facing Duke's offense this season.\n\nFirstly, can Walker Eget, the new quarterback from San Jose State, fill Mensah's shoes effectively? Eget, who threw for 3,051 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, is considered a capable replacement. However, he must play up to his potential and avoid being a mere replica of Mensah. Aiming for a similar 3,000-yard season while reducing interceptions would be a promising start.\n\nSecondly, will running back Nate Sheppard replicate his successful freshman campaign? Sheppard, who rushed for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns in his debut season, has become the starter at the position. The defense will focus on stopping him and forcing Eget to navigate through opposing defenses. It will be crucial to see if Sheppard maintains his impressive production.\n\nLastly, who will step up to compensate for the absence of Cooper Barkate? A versatile receiver, Barkate, who caught 72 passes for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns, left for Miami after his sole season with Duke. Jared Richardson, who caught 2,505 passes for 27 touchdowns during his three years at Penn, joins the offense from the Ivy League. Richardson will need to elevate his game if Duke's offense intends to remain explosive.",
  "summary": "Will Walker Eget be a capable replacement for Darian Mensah and can Nate Sheppard replicate his freshman season are two questions facing Duke.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}