The Duke football program's high hopes for the 2026 season are now hanging by a thread.
After winning their first four contests of the 2026 regular season, the Blue Devils have now dropped two in a row after falling to North Carolina 24-20 at home on Saturday. Duke is now 4-2 overall and 1-2 in ACC play, possibly putting itself out of the mix entirely for ACC title contention.
This weekend was much more discouraging than Duke's loss at Georgia Tech last weekend. The Blue Devils looked out of sorts in all three phases early, and the offense took a clear step back. Here are a few stock risers and fallers from Duke's loss to the Tar Heels.
Sep 12, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Aidan Laughery (21) tries to elude the tackle of Duke Blue Devils defensive tackle Preston Watson (95) during the first half at Gies Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Junior defensive tackle Preston Watson had by far the best game of his career in a Blue Devil uniform. He was arguably Duke's best defensive player all afternoon, and after a fairly quiet start to the season, he made his presence known against the Tar Heels.
Watson led the team in total tackles with eight (two solo), along with a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. The Florida native has the talent to be that impactful every week, and this was a promising sign for his future.
Oct 17, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils saftey Patrick Smith-Young (2) tackles North Carolina Tar Heels running back Jaylen McGill (27) during the first quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I was excited to see what Patrick Smith-Young could do after he transferred in from North Texas with a productive resume, but he's been more of a non-factor than a consistent contributor. Like Preston, Smith-Young had his best day as a Blue Devil against UNC.
The former Mean Green safety notched six total tackles, including four solo, and laid some big hits to try to send some momentum back Duke's way. He also had a fumble recovery.
Oct 17, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils saftey Andrew Pellicciotta (35) celebrates his touchdown against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Pellicciotta made a huge play to halt UNC's momentum after it got out to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter. After Kyon Loud forced a fumble from Jordan Shipp deep in Duke's territory, Pellicciotta recovered it and scored to get Duke on the board.
The sophomore finished the game with six total tackles.
Oct 17, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarter back Walker Eget (2) throws the ball during the third quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Walker Eget simply wasn't good enough on Saturday. He finished 24-of-38 passing for 249 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. However, he had several throws that probably should've been intercepted.
The main concern is that this was the first game where Nate Sheppard likely wasn't 100% healthy heading in, and his workload against UNC reflects that. Hence, Eget and the rest of the passing attack had to produce more, and they couldn't.
It's just one game, and Eget has been consistent this season. Still, this was a concerning outing.
Oct 17, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils defensive end Kevin O'Connor (15) and defensive end Bryce Davis (12) celebrate during the fourth quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Bryce Davis came into this season with a chance to really break onto the national scene, and it just hasn't happened. Against a UNC club that let Billy Edwards Jr. get sacked 11 times heading into this game, it seemed like a chance for Davis to make a huge impact. Instead, he didn't tally a single tackle.
Davis has 16 total tackles and two sacks this season. He's been productive overall, but there's certainly still more there.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/duke as Duke Football Stock Report: 3 Risers, 2 Fallers After UNC Loss .
