Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 17-3vs Tulane | 6 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 31-27@ Illinois | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Total | 15 | 8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#7
Nick Morris Jr.
Senior linebacker for Duke. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 235 lb · Austin, TX · Westlake [Texas]
CFB Index 37 · #398 of 577 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Duke for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 74th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
15
tackles · 2026
0.5 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 9 tackles, at Illinois
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Duke. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Duke in 2021.
Nick Morris Jr.
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Five seasons at Duke, three different head coaches: Mike Elko, Trooper Taylor and Manny Diaz. One game to point at: 9 tackles against Illinois — Week 2, 2026.
15 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 5 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2021
- Signed with Duke3-star out of Austin Westlake
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Duke
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Mike Elko, Trooper Taylor, and Manny Diaz. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Duke9-4HC: Mike Elko · Run-leaning
2023Duke8-5HC: Trooper Taylor · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2024Duke9-4HC: Manny Diaz · Pass-leaning
2025Duke9-5HC: Manny Diaz · Balanced
2026Duke2-0HC: Manny Diaz · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Production sits in the middle of the position cohort across the board.
Box-score production (7)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 7.5 TKL/g, 0.2 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Manny Diaz
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 31–27
at Illinois
9 TOT · 5 SOLO
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 4 on the road.
With W. Eget — 206 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 75.9 · -2 rush yds (1 car) · N. Sheppard — 147 rush yds (24 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Duke
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Duke
Returning around him
- 3 Duke players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +2 net (19 in / 17 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Duke · Last season: 9-5 · Talent rank #69 · 2026 recruiting class #71
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Collin Miller’s 2018 season.
84%match
Matches Collin on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Sack rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Brady Anderson's graduate season at San Diego State (2025).
Matches Brady on
Weight
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Nick Morris Jr.
Background
2026 ACCOLADES Panini Senior Bowl Top 300 Shriners Children's East-West Bowl 1,000 Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List 2026: Returning linebacker ... 2023 Academic All-ACC and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree … in 24 career games (10 starts), has recorded 93 tac...
The linebacker corps · Duke
- #34Luke Mergott91 tackles · 2025
- #42Kendall Johnson37 tackles · 2025
- #7Nick Morris Jr.18 tackles · 2025
- #31Elliott Schaper16 tackles · 2025
- #24Bradley Gompers14 tackles · 2025
6 more on the roster · Duke team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology