Duke football won ACC, lost QB Darian Mensah to Miami, but ‘not a victim’
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- Duke lost QB Darian Mensah and WR Cooper Barkate to Miami after late moves.
- Duke sued, then settled so Mensah could transfer to Miami.
- Coach Manny Diaz said staff moved on and are focused on next steps in spring.
Duke football coach Manny Diaz was planning on having quarterback Darian Mensah back for a second season in 2026.
Those plans changed – rapidly, messily, controversially.
Mensah, a transfer from Tulane, guided the Blue Devils to the 2025 ACC football championship – Duke’s first outright title since 1962 – and was the ACC’s leading passer. He also had a two-year financial arrangement with the school that reportedly paid him $4 million a year.
But Mensah made a last-second decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal – that after putting up a video in December saying how happy he was at Duke. Duke countered with a lawsuit. It all went public. A settlement had to be reached before Mensah could transfer to Miami along with wide receiver Cooper Barkate, who also made the late decision to leave Duke and join Mensah in Miami
Diaz, in a media call Tuesday to address the start of spring practice, did not make an issue of Mensah’s leaving in his first public statements about a situation that drew national attention.
“It’s been a while and we’ve kind of moved on,” Diaz said. “I mean, the portal is the portal, right? …. Those are the rules we have right now and everybody knows our calendar is a little out of whack.
“But there’s no one in this program who is going to sit around as a victim. We’re excited about what’s next. We’re excited about who we have.”
Duke’s new QB
Scrambling to find a capable replacement for Mensah, the Blue Devils had quarterback Walter Eget transfer in from San Jose State to take over as QB1 after he was granted an extra year of eligbiity by the NCAA.
Eget, like Mensah, is a California native. Listed at 6-3 and 225 pounds, he threw for 3,051 yards and 17 touchdowns last season and had a 473-yard passing day against Stanford.
“To be able to get someone with his experience, with 18 starts over two years, over 3,000 passing yards in ‘25, these are things that really fill a massive gap for us,” Diaz said.
Mensah’s numbers were much better: 3,973 yards and 34 TDs. Barkate caught 72 passes for 1,106 yards and seven TDs. Having both leave the program leaves a big void in the offense for the Blue Devils, who finished 9-5 after their Sun Bowl win over Arizona State.
“This is just a new normal in college football,” Diaz said. “The deck reshuffles every year and you try to play yourself to a winning hand.
“We’ve found a way to win in a different way every year we’ve been here. Again, you look at who you have and that’s what we do in the spring. We analyze where our strengths are and find a way to line ourselves up in the best position to win football games in the fall.”
Replacing NFL Draft departures
There’s work to be done on both the offensive and defensive lines replacing the experienced players who have left. That includes offensive tackle Brian Parker II, who declared for the 2026 NFL draft.
In an interesting twist, the Blue Devils had so many injuries at linebacker last season that Diaz said they were “holding on for dear life” at the end. But so many played last season that depth at the position now should be a strength.
Diaz said 17 players would be held out of most full-speed drills in the spring work and another half-dozen who will be limited at the start.. At the same time, he noted there are 24 newcomers who will be incorporated – 13 transfers and 11 high school mid-year enrollees.
“Spring practice really is March madness,” Diaz said of the new players. “They’ve been getting a crash course on what Duke is about.”
A year ago, Nate Sheppard was a freshman running back learning on the fly. By season’s end, he had rushed for 1,132 yards and 11 TDs while catching 37 balls, and was named second-team All-ACC.
Sheppard will be the featured back in 2026 and potential All-America candidate.
“He was one of the guys who was working in the darkness, without the hype, who showed up and had great seasons,” Diaz said.
The Blue Devils open the 2026 season Sept. 5 against Tulane in Durham and play their first ACC game Sept. 19 at home against Stanford. Duke does play Miami this season -- Nov. 14 on the road.
“Our guys have had a great attitude and great spirit about them,” Diaz said. “When we’re at our best we’ve got a pretty solid chip on our shoulder and I’d say there’s a pretty large one right now.”
