College Football Preview 2025: Duke Blue Devils

Head Coach: Manny Diaz (second season) 2024 Record: 9-4 (lost Gator Bowl) Strength of Schedule: 43rd PFF Projected Win Total: 7.8 FanDuel Win Total: 6.5 2024 Recap Manny Diazs first season as Dukes head coach matched the success of his predecessor, Mike Elko.

Duke finished with a 9-4 record in 2024, tying for its best record in 11 years.

Diaz is known as a defensive mastermind, and that was apparent last year, as the Blue Devils were among the 25 best schools in both PFF defensive grade and EPA per play.

The offense lagged behind, finishing as one of the 15 worst units in the nation in EPA per play.

A new quarterback in Tulane transfer Darian Mensah has Duke fans hoping for improvement on that side of the ball, while an elite secondary will allow Diaz to blitz as much as he desires.

Biggest Strength: Secondary Duke boasts a top-10 secondary in the country, thanks in large part to cornerback Chandler Rivers and safety Terry Moore.

Theyre among PFFs top 50 players in the country and were the highest-graded Power Four players at their respective positions last season.

Biggest Weakness: Run game The Blue Devils averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last season, the fewest in the FBS.

And their leading rusher, Star Thomas, transferred to Tennessee .

Returning Jaquez Moore from injury is a plus, but Duke needs significant improvement from both its backs and its offensive line in the ground game, especially considering how much quarterback Darian Mensah relies on play action.

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