Duke’s 2026 season comes with a very different feel after the Blue Devils’ improbable ACC title run. The roster took a hit in the portal, and now Manny Diaz is tasked with keeping the program steady with a new quarterback leading the way.
The biggest change is at the most important position. Darian Mensah, who helped fuel Duke’s surprise championship push, transferred to Miami, and wide receiver Cooper Barkate followed him there. Without Mensah, Duke will turn to San Jose State transfer Walker Eget to try to keep the offense moving.
That sets the stage for a season that looks more like a reset than a repeat. Duke’s 8-5 finish and ACC championship came with some help from conference tie-breaking rules, but the expectations around the program changed fast after that run.
CBS Sports’ Brady Crawford sees a middle-of-the-road year ahead, projecting the Blue Devils to go 6-6. In his forecast, Duke would pick up wins over Tulane, Stanford, William & Mary, NC State, Boston College, and Wake Forest, while falling to Illinois, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia, Miami, and Clemson.
Crawford still sees value in that kind of season, even if it falls short of what Duke just accomplished. “Duke's remarkable run to the ACC Championship raised expectations, but sustaining that level of success was always going to be difficult,” Crawford wrote.
“Losing two of the program's top players to Miami through the transfer portal only makes Manny Diaz's task even tougher. Replacing proven production is one challenge; replacing leadership and game-changing talent is another.
"The Blue Devils remain well-coached and competitive, but there are more losses than expected this season, especially with a challenging non-conference schedule. A step back doesn't mean Duke is falling apart -- it reflects the reality of roster turnover in today's college football landscape. Reaching bowl eligibility would still represent a solid season, even if another ACC title game appearance proves out of reach."
That’s the reality for Duke now: no clear path to another ACC crown, but a chance to stay respectable and get back to a bowl. Diaz has already shown he can elevate the program, and if the Blue Devils can hold together through this season’s turnover, they could head into 2027 with some real momentum.
In Other News...
Josh Pate Just Tore Apart Duke's ACC Repeat Case
Josh Pates latest read on Duke was the kind of reality check that tends to follow a breakthrough season. The Blue Devils have a lot to answer for after last years ACC title run, but the roster looks different now, with major departures and a schedule that figures to ask more of Manny Diazs team than it did a year ago. Pate pointed to the turnover as the central issue, especially with key pieces heading elsewhere and the overall depth of what is coming back looking thin.
The quarterback situation is part of why the skepticism has settled in so quickly. Duke moved from Darian Mensah to San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, and Pate sees that as a step back at the most important spot on the field. Add in the tougher path ahead and the shrinking margin for error, and the case for another ACC crown starts to look less like a defending-champion repeat and more like a reset year for a program trying to stay in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
John Blackwell Just Put Dukes Backcourt Into Focus
John Blackwells move to Duke gives Jon Scheyer another perimeter option at a time when the Blue Devils are still sorting out who will carry the offense on the outside. The Wisconsin transfer arrives with a proven scoring rsum, coming off a season in which he averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds while also sharpening his three-point shot, and that production is exactly the kind of backcourt punch Duke has been looking to add.
What makes the fit especially interesting is the role Blackwell is chasing. He spent much of his time at Wisconsin working off the ball, but Duke expects him to handle more of the creation load and compete for major on-ball duties. That gives the Blue Devils a more dynamic guard picture, even if the path to those responsibilities is not going to be handed out easily. [Read more 🡒]