Star QB Darian Mensah's departure to Miami shatters Duke's 2026 playoff hopes, potentially plunging the Blue Devils back into ACC obscurity.
The Duke Blue Devils appeared to be on their way to entering the College Football Playoff conversation after beating Virginia in the ACC Championship Game last year.
While the CFP left Duke out for James Madison, the Blue Devils seemed to be building something that would allow the team to better compete for the tournament in the 2026 campaign.
Things changed quickly after losing quarterback Darian Mensah to Miami. Mensah transferred from Tulane before the 2025 season and showed no loyalty to the Blue Devils before joining the Hurricanes.
Cody Nagel of CBS Sports thinks the team will regress in 2026 after losing Mensah, finishing with its worst (losing) record since before Mike Elko was the head coach of the program.
"Duke has been one of the ACC's most consistent programs over the last four seasons, stacking winning conference records under both Mike Elko and now Manny Diaz as the reigning conference champion," Nagel wrote.
“That run has flipped the script from the previous six-year stretch (2016-21), when Duke finished below .500 in league play every season. But 2026 feels more fragile. After a championship peak and key roster departures -- like star quarterback Darian Mensah -- it could be as simple as the Blue Devils slipping back under .500 in ACC play."
In March, Diaz told reporters that the team can't feel sorry for themselves after losing Mensah. Diaz is excited about the players he has on his roster for the upcoming season.
“It’s been a while, and we’ve kind of moved on,” Diaz said, via Duke Wire. “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 is expected to turn to quarterback Walker Eget for the upcoming season. He transferred from San Jose State.
It's possible that, like Menash, Eget could have a few tricks up his sleeve to make the Blue Devils an ACC contender.