Duke's Nate Sheppard leads nation in scoring despite key losses

Nate Sheppard is leading the nation in scoring and rushing touchdowns for the Duke Blue Devils this season.

The senior running back from Mandeville, Louisiana, finished with 972 rushing yards and 31 receptions for 302 yards through eight games. He has scored 19 total touchdowns, a number that places him first in the country in both categories. Sheppard also leads Power Four players in all-purpose yards per game at 159.3. He ranks second among Power Four running backs in rushing yards per game at 121.5.

Duke reached 6-2 and secured bowl eligibility for a fifth straight season with a 47-2 victory over Boston College on Saturday. Sheppard scored on five runs in that game, setting a school record for touchdowns in a single contest. Four of those scores came on plays of four yards or less. The fifth run covered 54 yards, the longest of his career. He added seven midseason All-America first-team selections this year and was named the Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week after his season opener against Tulane.

The team achieved these results after losing its primary offensive weapons in the transfer portal. Quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate both transferred to Miami on the final day of the January window. Mensah had thrown for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns in the previous season. Barkate caught 72 passes for 1,106 yards. Sheppard remained in Durham despite calls from other programs. He told Duke he was staying days before his former teammates departed for Florida.

Head coach Manny Diaz credited Sheppard for transforming his body during the offseason to become a more durable player. The coach noted that Sheppard added 10 pounds to function as a goal-line specialist. Offensive coordinator Johnny Brewer also utilized Sheppard as a receiver out of the backfield, a role that produced 302 receiving yards this season. During a 19-16 win over Virginia, Sheppard threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Brody Keefe in the final minute to secure the victory. It was the first pass of his career.

Sheppard enters the final stretch of the regular season with a specific milestone in reach. He needs 28 yards in the upcoming game against NC State to become the first Duke player with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He is one of only four players in the playoff era to record at least 1,250 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns through eight games. The other three players who met this standard were Melvin Gordon, Ameer Abdullah, and Ashton Jeanty. Gordon and Jeanty both won the Doak Walker Award and finished second in the Heisman voting.

The running back acknowledged his status in the Heisman Trophy race but identified Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State as the current favorite. Smith and Sheppard are tied for the FBS lead with 42 plays of 10 yards or more. Ohio State lost to USC on Saturday, which moved Mensah to the top of the Heisman betting board. Sheppard still communicates with Mensah roughly once a month and wishes his former teammate success. The two players are set to face each other in two weeks when Duke travels to Miami.

Duke faces No. 1 Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in two weeks. The venue is located in Miami Gardens, Florida, where Sheppard’s older brother Will currently serves on the practice squad for the Miami Dolphins. The family lived near the stadium when Nate was born. Duke’s next opponent is NC State on Saturday. The Blue Devils currently hold the No. 9 scoring defense in the nation. They have won nine games each of the last two seasons under Diaz.