Duke enters this season with one massive question hanging over the whole program: who replaces Darian Mensah?
That’s the pivot point after a year in which the Blue Devils won the ACC Championship Game and forced people to rethink what Duke football could be. But the transfer portal changed the picture fast, and Mensah’s departure left Duke staring at a roster hole that could define everything that follows.
In the NIL era, that kind of swing can happen almost overnight. Duke learned that the hard way, and as the source material notes, it “just didn't have enough money to keep a guy like Mensah around.”
So what comes next is a lot harder to pin down. Duke should still be a solid team, but projecting it as one of the nation’s elite feels like a stretch right now.
ESPN’s FPI puts Duke in a crowded middle tier, projecting every team in that group to finish with between 5.8 and 6.4 wins. Duke, Arizona State and Kansas are all pegged at exactly six wins, with each sitting between a 55% and 65% chance of reaching at least six. ESPN also noted that these teams have one big thing in common: they’re all replacing veteran quarterbacks.
“The other thing these teams have in common: replacing a veteran QB. Sorsby, Darian Mensah, Sam Leavitt and Haynes King are all gone. Even Jalon Daniels, who, as best we can recall, had been Kansas' Week 1 QB since Mark Mangino was coaching, is gone.”
ESPN added that one of those teams could catch fire with a new quarterback, floating the possibility that “Alberto Mendoza follows in his brother's footsteps, or Gio Lopez takes off after being reunited with his former OC, or Manny Diaz is granted three wishes by a benevolent genie he discovers by rubbing an old turnover chain, and the Blue Devils end up with an adequate Mensah replacement after all.”
For Duke, that replacement is everything. If the Blue Devils get Mensah-level quarterback play again, they could be right back in the national conversation. If they don’t, this season could turn ugly in a hurry.
In Other News...
Duke Fall Camp Just Raised Two Big Roster Questions
Dukes offseason reset has already given fall camp a different feel, with the Blue Devils having to replace the production and presence of several key wide receivers while leaning on transfers to sort out the depth chart. In a recent scrimmage, redshirt freshman Jaivon Solomon made a strong case for himself at receiver, turning in one of the days most eye-catching performances as the staff keeps evaluating who can help stabilize a passing game that lost important pieces.
The other side of the ball offered its own early clues, with sophomore Bryce Davis emerging on the defensive line and showing the kind of disruption Duke wants as the season opener approaches. With roster spots and rotation roles still very much in play, the next stretch of camp should bring more clarity on how the Blue Devils plan to line up, but there are still a couple of major decisions hanging over the final weeks before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes First Scrimmage Left One Crucial Position Battle Wide Open
Dukes first scrimmage of fall camp offered an early glimpse of the offense and defense, with plenty still unsettled as the Blue Devils push through the opening stretch of August. Wide receiver Jaivon Solomon was one of the days clear standouts, while the secondary made its presence felt by breaking up passes and coming away with interceptions, a reminder that there are useful pieces on both sides of the ball even before the depth chart starts to harden.
The bigger storyline, though, remains the quarterback race, and the first live work did little to sort it out. Walker Eget and Dan Mahan are still battling for control of the offense, and with training camp just getting underway, Duke can afford to let the competition breathe a little longer before anyone separates from the pack. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Quarterback Battle Is Taking A Tense Turn In Camp
Fall camp in Durham has already put several Duke position battles under the microscope, but none carries more weight than the quarterback competition. San Jose State transfer Walker Eget and redshirt freshman Dan Mahan have been trading reps, and Manny Diaz said the two have performed closely enough that the Blue Devils still do not have a clear starter as the season opener approaches.
For Duke, the appeal of the battle is also what makes it tense: the staff is looking for the quarterback who can keep the offense on schedule and avoid the kinds of mistakes that stall drives. With both players still very much in the mix, the next stretch of camp is set up to matter more than ever as Diaz and his coaches search for the cleaner option under center. [Read more 🡒]