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Nate Sheppard had all the chances in the world to transfer from Duke following his stellar season, in which he broke the program records for rushing yards (1,132) and rushing touchdowns (11) by a freshman.
Instead, the running back stayed in Durham while seeing his quarterback Darian Mensah and leading wide receiver Cooper Barkate depart for Miami. So what made his decision to stay in Durham and play for the Blue Devils in 2026?
“The ultimate deciding factor was just the team we have and the family we have in that locker room,” Sheppard said. “I think we have one of the best locker rooms in the country, one of the best cultures in the country.”
His comments are a far cry from what Mensah said during his time at ACC media days, stating that there was friction in the Duke locker room last season due to the amount of money the quarterback was paid to transfer from Tulane.
But there was another significant reason why Sheppard passed up bigger and better offers: his head coach.
“Obviously I committed to this man up on the stage, Manny Diaz,” he said. “I believed in his vision, everything that he was preaching, and I've seen it come to fruition these last two years that he's been here, especially winning the ACC championship. Those are big reasons why I decided to come back.”
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Nate Sheppard highlights why he returned to Duke for sophomore season
