Tag: Jaquez Moore

Duke running back Jaquez Moore expected to return in 2025, Manny Diaz says

Duke football coach Manny Diaz revealed on Monday that running back Jaquez Moore should return for the 2025 season.

The Duke football team will honor several seniors at its final home game on Saturday, a night battle against the Virginia Tech Hokies, but it sounds like one longtime Blue Devil will return to Durham next fall.

Head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] said on Monday that running back [autotag]Jaquez Moore[/autotag], who missed most of the season due to injury, will aim for another year of eligibility in 2025.

“He’s been a tough miss for us this year,” Diaz said. “We think he’s one of the best players on our roster, so we’re excited about the idea that we have a chance to welcome him back next year.”

Moore spent the past four seasons with the program, finishing second on the roster with 674 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. He picked up 24 yards and a touchdown in the opener against Elon, and he gained another 11 yards on three attempts against Northwestern in Week 2 before leaving the game with an injury.

He’s only taken the field once since, a single carry for no gain against the North Carolina Tar Heels in Week 5.

Moore can retain redshirt eligibility with four games played, so Diaz said he should play against Virginia Tech or Wake Forest the following week, but he won’t take the field in both games.

Star Thomas looks like a lead running back for Duke football

After his second consecutive 100-yard game on the ground, Duke running back Star Thomas looks like he can carry the ground game.

Through two weeks, the biggest question about the Duke offense pertained to whether or not any Blue Devil could step forward as the lead tailback.

The offense managed just 152 yards on the ground between the first two games with one touchdown and no carries longer than 12 yards. Senior [autotag]Jaquez Moore[/autotag], who amassed 674 yards last season, left the Week 2 game against Northwestern with an injury, and the Blue Devils risked becoming completely one-dimensional without him.

Turns out, New Mexico State transfer [autotag]Star Thomas[/autotag] just needed a little more time with the team.

Thomas ran for 122 yards against Connecticut in Week 3, his first 100-yard game with the Blue Devils, and he reached triple digits again against Middle Tennessee on Saturday. He scored two touchdowns against the Blue Raiders as part of a 111-yard performance, and between the last eight quarters, he’s now rattled off five 20-yard runs.

Between Weeks 3 and 4, Thomas gained 233 yards on 39 attempts for an average of 6.0 yards per carry, and the first-year Blue Devil has 314 yards on the season through Week 4. No other player on the roster has more than 88.

Even visually, Thomas has looked much more effective over the last two games. He always had the burst for big gains and the power to stay upright through contact, but he’s choosing rushing lanes more decisively and brushing off more and more tackles with each game. He offers an excellent blend of patience and acceleration, able to wait an extra half-beat for the defensive picture to become clear while also taking off the second he finds a gap.

Combine that increased comfort with an offensive line playing more and more games together, and the arrow is pointing up for the Blue Devils rushing game.

Duke running back Star Thomas puts together first 100-yard game with Blue Devils

For the first time as a member of the Duke Blue Devils, running back Star Thomas reached the 100-yard mark on Saturday.

For the first time as a member of the Duke football team, running back Star Thomas reached the 100-yard mark on Saturday night against Connecticut.

With returning senior Jaquez Moore out with an ankle injury, the New Mexico State transfer took over responsibilities as the lead back against the Huskies. After the Blue Devils failed to reach 100 yards as a team or even have a single carry longer than 12 yards in either of the first two games, Thomas rattled off two runs longer than 20 yards against UConn and didn’t get tackled for a loss once.

Thomas’s first big gain came in the early second quarter when he carved his way up the center of the Connecticut defense, picking up 22 yards to put Duke just outside the red zone.

Then, in the fourth quarter, with Duke leading by five points and hoping to run out the clock, he found a small seam in his offensive line and broke free for a 21-yard run. While Thomas had every chance to reach the end zone for his first touchdown of the season, he instead fell to the ground inside the 5-yard line to clinch the win.

Thomas, who picked up at least five yards on 10 different attempts, finished the game with 122 yards on 22 carries to average 5.5 yards per tote.

The former Aggie only reached the century mark once with his old team, a 144-yard game against Hawai’i back in 2022.

Duke running back Jaquez Moore out for Week 3 game against Connecticut

Duke football will be without running back Jaquez Moore for its Week 3 game against the Connecticut Huskies.

The Duke football team will be without [autotag]Jaquez Moore[/autotag] for the third game of the season after the senior running back was ruled out for the Blue Devils’ game against Connecticut.

Moore rushed for 11 yards on three carries against Northwestern in Week 2 before exiting the game with an ankle injury. He did not play in the second half or overtime against the Wildcats.

The veteran runner scored Duke’s first touchdown of the season against Elon in Week 1, and he had 35 yards on 13 attempts between the first two games. He finished second on the team with 674 rushing yards in 2023, his second straight season above 500 yards.

In Moore’s absence, expect New Mexico State transfer Star Thomas to lead the backfield. The first-year Blue Devil got the ball 17 times against the Wildcats in Week 2, and he leads the team with 30 attempts so far this season.

Duke running back Jaquez Moore leaves Northwestern game, seen in walking boot

Duke running back Jaquez Moore left Friday’s game against Northwestern and was later seen with a boot on his ankle.

The injury struggles continued for Duke on Friday night when running back Jaquez Moore left the game against Northwestern with an ankle injury.

Moore was seen struggling to put weight on his right ankle in the first half. He left the game and was later seen in the third quarter wearing street clothes while sporting a walking boot.

He finished Friday’s game with 11 yards on three attempts. Moore compiled 674 rushing yards in 2023, the most of any returning player on Duke’s roster, and he scored the team’s first touchdown of the year last week against Elon.

Moore was not the only offensive starter to leave the game against Northwestern. Tight end Jeremiah Hasley was carted off in the second quarter after an awkward fall on punt protection.

Staff predictions for Week 2 matchup between Duke and Northwestern

Duke is gearing up to take on Northwestern on Friday, check out our Duke Wire staff predictions for the game here.

Duke football plays under the Friday night lights again in Week 2, this time on the road against Northwestern in a battle of the brainiacs.

The Wildcats came to Durham last season, and the Blue Devils chased them out of town with a 38-14 win. Running back [autotag]Jaquez Moore[/autotag] managed 61 yards on the ground in just 10 carries, and star wideout [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] amassed 56 receiving yards on five catches.

Now, one year later, those two are the focal points of the Duke offense. Moore reached triple-digits against Elon in Week 1, a 47-yard catch in the third quarter adding an exclamation point to his 112-yard game. Despite some struggles in the ground game, Moore scored the team’s first touchdown of the season.

Both teams bring a new quarterback to this year’s edition, though. [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns in his Duke debut last week. Can he up his game against a Big Ten pass defense?

Here are our staff predictions for the Week 2 contest.

Ryan Haley, Duke Wire site editor

It’s a bit early to call anything on Duke’s schedule a must-win, but this comes as close as a September game can. With Georgia Tech emerging as one of the more complete teams in the conference and Wake Forest transfer quarterback Hank Bachmeier looking exceptionally productive in his Demon Deacons debut, even the weaker games on the conference slate look like fistfights.

Manny Diaz needs all the help he can get to reach six wins, and a 4-0 start would give him great odds. This game is the biggest hurdle to clear of those four, however, and it’s a total mismatch in the trenches for Duke. The Blue Devils averaged less than three yards per carry on the ground last week, and Miami (Ohio) ran for 40 yards on 24 attempts against the Wildcats in Week 1.

So this game will come down to two things: Duke’s defensive line and Maalik Murphy. Luckily, one of those things looked exceptional in Week 1 and the other looked promising.

The Blue Devils compiled eight sacks as a team, leading the entire country, and the Wildcats already averaged less than six yards per attempt. Northwestern quarterback Mike Wright, previously from Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, is mobile enough to escape pressure but historically doesn’t perform well under it, and the Duke front seven is fast enough to keep him from reaching the second level super often.

Northwestern’s pass defense came away with two interceptions last week, raising their total to 15 in 14 games under head coach David Braun. Murphy is a confident passer, but he fired some questionable balls into double coverage against the Phoenix. If Duke loses this game, it’s because he does that again and gets punished for it multiple times, which is well within the range of outcomes. If he only turns the ball once, however, the Duke defensive line and Jordan Moore prove to be too much for the Wildcats.

Duke 17, Northwestern 13

Bryant Crews, Staff Writer

Week 2 of the Manny Diaz era is upon us, and after a relatively stress-free 26-3 win in its first game of the 2024 season, Duke turns the page and turns up the competition.

Diaz and his squad head to the Windy City to take on the Big Ten’s Northwestern Wildcats. Duke and Northwestern will face off in an out-of-conference game for the eighth time over the last ten seasons.

While the Duke offense’s performance in game one wasn’t perfect, they had some opportunities to showcase transfer quarterback Maalik Murphy and their many returning receiver options.

Northwestern is better than Elon, and stylistically, they present a different challenge. They will look to dominate the line of scrimmage and win by running the ball.

Duke’s losses on defense from the previous year will make themselves known this week, but I think Duke has enough offensive talent to overcome it.

Murphy will throw for at least two touchdowns, Jacquez Moore will rush for a touchdown, and we will see a second-half turnover or stop that helps seal the deal for the Blue Devils as they win their first road game this season and move to 2-0.

Duke 24, Northwestern 17

Jaquez Moore scores first touchdown of the Duke football season

Duke running back Jaquez Moore rumbled into the end zone in the second quarter on Friday, the Blue Devils’ first touchdown of the year.

It took nearly two full quarters, but the Duke offense finally found the end zone for the first touchdown of the year on Friday.

In the final minute of the first half against the Elon Phoenix, Blue Devils running back Jaquez Moore took a handoff from the 7-yard line. He bounced to the outside before following a block from wide receiver Eli Pancol, finding a crease into the painted grass.

The score opened up a 10-0 lead, the same advantage Duke took into the locker room. Moore finished the first two quarters with eight carries for 21 yards, leading the Blue Devils backfield in both categories.

Pancol deserved a lot of credit for the touchdown drive. First-year starting quarterback Maalik Murphy found him over the middle for a 55-yard catch-and-run on the previous play to set the team up in scoring position, Pancol’s second catch of the game.

Duke finished the first half against Elon with 174 total yards of offense, more than doubling the Phoenix’s 80.

Two offensive stars for Duke football make Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list

The Reese’s Senior Bowl released its watch list for the 2025 edition of the event on Wednesday, featuring two Blue Devils offensive stars.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl released its 2025 watch list on Wednesday, naming a bunch of rising seniors around the country who could vault themselves into NFL draft consideration.

Two stars of the Duke offense, wide receiver [autotag]Jordan Moore [/autotag] and running back [autotag]Jaquez Moore[/autotag], made the list.

The watch list joins a lengthy list of accolades for Jordan, who also earned three votes for ACC Preseason Player of the Year and made the watch list for the Maxwell Award given to the nation’s most outstanding player.

After transitioning from quarterback to wide receiver ahead of the 2022 season, Moore led the team in all three major receiving categories last season. He compiled 62 receptions, 835 yards, and eight touchdowns, including three scores in one game against North Carolina.

The other Moore, Jaquez, gets the chance to be Duke’s lead back in 2024. He picked up 674 yards last season, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and scoring six touchdowns.

Jordan Waters, who led the Blue Devils with 819 yards on the ground, transferred to NC State, and while former New Mexico State back Star Thomas joined the program through the transfer portal, Moore is still expected to lead the backfield.

Jordan chases Duke’s first 1,000-yard receiving season in a decade and Jaquez chases similar landmarks on the ground when Duke’s season gets started against Elon on August 30.

Four Duke football players named to East-West Shrine Bowl Watch List

Duke football stars Jordan Moore and Jaquez Moore, along with two other teammates, made the East-West Shrine Bowl Watch List on Friday.

The first season of the [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] era in Durham still holds some star power.

On Friday afternoon, four Duke football players were named to the East-West Shrine Bowl Watch List. Running back Jaquez Moore, wide receivers Jordan Moore and Javon Harvey, and safety Jaylen Stinson all made the preliminary list.

The two Moores served as key motors for the Blue Devils offense in 2023. Jazquez finished second on the team with 674 rushing yards last season, and with leading rusher Jordan Waters now playing for NC State, he seems poised to dominate the Duke backfield. Jordan paced the passing game with 62 receptions, 835 yards, and eight touchdowns, leading the team in all three categories.

Stinson, a leader of the 2023 defense, finished with 88 tackles last season, the second-most on the team. He also snagged an interception against North Carolina.

Harvey, who transferred from Old Dominion this offseason, finished his three-year stint with the Monarchs with 70 catches, 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns.

The game, meant to let the best seniors in college football show themselves as NFL talents ahead of the draft, takes place in early February.

Duke expected to add New Mexico State transfer running back Star Thomas, per Matt Zenitz

Duke looks to add final piece to the 2024 running back room after Tuesday reports of a potential transfer commitment.

Duke’s running backs are about to get another infusion of talent.

On Tuesday afternoon, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported that New Mexico State transfer running back Star Thomas was expected to transfer to Duke.

The transfer, who visited Duke’s campus on Tuesday according to Zenitz, will apparently pick the Blue Devils after a hard push by the Vanderbilt Commodores.

He entered the portal in April, and things have gone in several directions since then. Toward the end of the month, it was believed that new ACC member Cal was going to earn his commitment, but the Blue Devils found a new gear, got him on campus, surged ahead of Cal, and fought off advances from Vanderbilt, too.

Thomas accounted for 1,499 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns over two years at New Mexico State

Landing Thomas is huge for Duke. He’s a senior with tons of experience, giving Duke another veteran to pair with lead running back and fellow senior Jaquez Moore. Moore is the only significant returning running back after Jordan Waters opted for the transfer portal and transferred to NC State.

 

The Devils have young names like Marquise Collins, Travis Bates, and Peyton Jones on the depth chart, too, but if they aren’t progressing in the manner they need to, Duke can ride Moore and Thomas as they build their offense around Texas transfer QB Maalik Murphy.