Quarterback battle brews as Duke opens fall football camp
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The reigning ACC champion Duke Blue Devils opened fall football camp on Wednesday.
One of the best things about camp and the storylines that come from it is competition.
That word comes up a lot in athletics, and a lot of coaches think competition and winning go hand in hand.
They want their players competing for reps, playing time, starting spots. And when the now-former quarterback bolts on the final day of the transfer portal, coaches lean on that competition to produce a diamond at that position.
Duke's quarterback battle is brewing between transfer Walker Egat and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan.
The two split the first team reps on Wednesday, and coaches and players like what they see.
"You've got one guy who's got a lot of promise who hasn't done it yet, and you got one guy who's got a lot of production who's, you know, just getting into our offensive learning," Duke head coach Manny Diaz said. "But there's also a lot of new names and faces that weren't really there in March and April, too."
Players also said Egat and Mahan were progressing well.
"It's early, obviously, but I think they've both been really great leaders this summer; they've both stepped up, and they're embracing the challenge of the competition," said offensive lineman Matt Craycraft.
Diaz said he doesn't care when a starter emerges.
If it's an hour before the kickoff, that'd be great; if it's anything earlier than that, that would be great, too," the coach said.
It's just a matter of getting through this training camp and preparing each day for the season, Diaz added.
