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Sheppard Earns Freshman All-America Nod
12/17/2025 12:07:00 PM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. - Duke running back Nate Sheppard was named to The Athletic's Freshman All-America Second Team, according to an announcement by the organization.Â
Sheppard, a 5-10, 200-pound freshman from Mandeville, Louisiana, leads Duke with 178 carries for 962 yards (5.40) and stands second with 10 touchdowns. He has added 35 receptions for 266 yards (7.60) and one score. Sheppard has already set the Duke freshman records for rushing yards and ground touchdowns. His 962 rushing yards are third most nationally by a freshman, true or redshirt, this fall, and the seventh most in a year by any Duke running back. His 35 receptions tie for the seventh most by a Duke rookie in program history and are the most by a Blue Devil freshman running back.Â
In the ACC Championship Game, Sheppard ran for a touchdown and caught five passes to become just the second individual to accomplish both in the league's title tilt, joining Florida State's Dalvin Cook in the 2014 game versus Georgia Tech. Overall, Sheppard has two games with five or more receptions and a TD run this season, joining Maryland's DeJuan Williams as the only freshmen with two such games this season.Â
The Blue Devils cap the campaign in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, facing Arizona State in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, December 31. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m., and the game will be televised live by CBS. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets from the Duke allotment on GoDuke.com by clicking HERE. For complete bowl information including tickets, travel, and events, please visit goduke.com/bowlcentral.
For more information on Duke Football, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeFOOTBALL".
#GoDuke
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Sheppard, a 5-10, 200-pound freshman from Mandeville, Louisiana, leads Duke with 178 carries for 962 yards (5.40) and stands second with 10 touchdowns. He has added 35 receptions for 266 yards (7.60) and one score. Sheppard has already set the Duke freshman records for rushing yards and ground touchdowns. His 962 rushing yards are third most nationally by a freshman, true or redshirt, this fall, and the seventh most in a year by any Duke running back. His 35 receptions tie for the seventh most by a Duke rookie in program history and are the most by a Blue Devil freshman running back.Â
In the ACC Championship Game, Sheppard ran for a touchdown and caught five passes to become just the second individual to accomplish both in the league's title tilt, joining Florida State's Dalvin Cook in the 2014 game versus Georgia Tech. Overall, Sheppard has two games with five or more receptions and a TD run this season, joining Maryland's DeJuan Williams as the only freshmen with two such games this season.Â
The Blue Devils cap the campaign in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, facing Arizona State in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, December 31. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m., and the game will be televised live by CBS. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets from the Duke allotment on GoDuke.com by clicking HERE. For complete bowl information including tickets, travel, and events, please visit goduke.com/bowlcentral.
For more information on Duke Football, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeFOOTBALL".
#GoDuke
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Players Mentioned
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