Duke’s 5-2 start has the Blue Devils in solid shape as they get ready to host 4-3 Boston College on Saturday, but Manny Diaz isn’t interested in pretending the bigger picture is normal.
The Duke coach unloaded Thursday on the state of the transfer portal during an appearance on ESPN 99.9 The Fan’s “The Drive with Tim Donnelly,” saying he’s getting nowhere when it comes to clear direction on the rules for the 2027 cycle. Diaz said he is “extraordinarily” frustrated that he has not received proper guidance on how the next round of portal business is supposed to work, and he delivered that message with just five games left in the regular season.
That frustration comes with real baggage for Duke. The Blue Devils were hit late in the January transfer portal window when quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate left for Miami. Duke had to scramble to replace Mensah, who could be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Diaz said the uncertainty around the portal isn’t just a Duke problem. He warned that it could create issues for college football programs this offseason and noted that college basketball already dealt with similar problems in the spring without seeing any fix. He also pointed to the legal battles surrounding several rules, saying new rulings keep creating new rules while the appeal process continues.
For Diaz, the answer is not to sit back and wait. He said he’s trying to figure out the transfer portal playbook and adjust in a way that puts Duke in a stronger position for next year. The goal, as he described it, is to adapt and make the system work in the Blue Devils’ favor in the 2027 cycle.
The broader backdrop is just as murky. The NCAA still has not made a decision in its tampering probe tied to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s claim that Ole Miss and head coach Pete Golding tampered with linebacker Luke Ferrelli. Months later, there has been no ruling or punishment in that case.
That lingering silence is part of what Diaz is reacting to. In his view, the transfer portal remains broken, and coaches are being forced into the final month of the regular season without clear answers on what is and isn’t allowed in recruiting.
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