3 Duke top football players poised to breakout for Manny Diaz during fall camp

Duke football’s ACC title defense kicks off in just over a month, with fall camp approaching quickly. Manny Diaz faces the challenge of replacing a substantial number of key contributors from last season’s championship squad.

That task extends well beyond the quarterback battle, where San Jose State transfer Walker Eget is competing to hold off sophomore Dan Mahan for the spot vacated by Darian Mensah.

While that QB race will grab most of the attention, fans should also keep an eye on which players emerge as standouts during practice and carve out meaningful roles for the 2026 campaign.

Here’s a look at three prospects who could break out.

These 3 Duke football players are poised for a breakout during fall camp and significant 2026 roles

3. DL Owen Wafle
   Duke has considerable production to replace along the defensive front, and Diaz’s ability to upgrade a unit that struggled last season may be just as crucial to this year’s success as the quarterback play.

Penn State transfer Owen Wafle is someone Diaz will count on to fill a major role up front for the Blue Devils. Wafle brings plenty of raw ability, though he has yet to consistently translate that into on-field production during his prior stops at Penn State and Michigan.

Duke is banking on that changing, with Wafle emerging as a key piece in 2026.

2. WR Brody Keefe
   Duke brought in a couple of transfer receivers who figure to feature prominently Penn’s Jared Richardson and Charlotte’s Javen Nicholas but the Blue Devils are also seeking another option to step up in a big way.

Returning names like Jaivon Solomon and Jamien Little may look like the frontrunners from the outside, but freshman Brody Keefe has been generating real buzz internally. He turned heads during spring practices and seems poised to compete for immediate reps in his debut season.

It wouldn’t be shocking to see Keefe work his way into a starting role for Duke.

1. DE Bryce Davis
   Another potential difference-maker on the defensive front is sophomore end Bryce Davis, who arrived in Durham last year with considerable hype. He ranks as the highest-rated signee in Duke football history, according to 247.

Davis saw rotational action along the line as a freshman, but with Diaz needing to fill the voids left by Vincent Anthony Jr. and Wesley Williams on the edges, he’ll look for his former blue-chip recruit to tap into his potential and make a major leap in Year 2.