The Duke football squad looks solid as the heart of the 2023-24 season approaches. The Blue Devils have a record of 5-3 and sit in the middle of the ACC football standings, Duke has a vital matchup against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Thursday night. However, QB Riley Leonard will be out for the game following an injury he suffered against Louisville.

Riley Leonard is out for longer than expected 

Leonard will miss an extended period with a left toe injury he sustained late in the Louisville game, per Pete Thamel. Freshman Grayson Loftis will get his first career start for the Wake Forest football game.

Riley Leonard has been a massive contributor to the Blue Devils' offense. The junior QB has 1,102 yards and has thrown for three touchdowns. Even greater, he has a QBR of 68.5, which ranks him 36th in the nation, per ESPN.

Leonard did what he could in the loss to the Cardinals. He threw for 121 yards and one interception. In the end, the Blue Devils could not get the win. The Cardinals dominated on both sides of the ball.

RB Jawhar Jordan rushed for 163 yards and two TDS on 21 carries. In addition, Louisville had more than 150 total yards on offense than Duke. The Blue Devils have what it takes to get the win against the Demon Deacons though.

Wake Forest was recently handed a blowout loss by the mighty Florida State Seminoles. When Duke faced FSU a week prior, they lost by a narrower margin and managed to put points on the board.

RB Jaquez Moore will look to handle more of the offensive load as the Blue Devils prep for their next ACC football matchup.