Raleigh - The annual Triangle Pigskin Preview is usually the point where summer chatter starts giving way to real football, and Friday’s gathering had the same feel. N.C.
State’s Dave Doeren, Duke’s Manny Diaz and UNC’s Bill Belichick sat down together before taking questions about football, their teams and the 2026 season. N.C.
Central’s Trei Oliver was back at the dais, while East Carolina’s Steve Shankweiler filled in for head coach Blake Harrell, who was at the American Conference football media day.
Diaz said the mood matched the moment.
“We’re kind of coming out of the doldrums now,” Diaz said. “It’s time for training camp and some football.”
He and Belichick spent part of the lunch portion of the program in conversation, and Diaz said the exchange covered plenty of ground.
“All of the above,” Diaz said. “We’re all fighting the same dragon, right? It’s just fun to have a moment to get into conversations with Bill or Dave and share some thoughts on a multitude of topics.”
One of those topics was tampering, a problem that has become impossible to ignore in college sports. Doeren said the issue comes down to enforcement.
“Accountability is paramount,” Doeren said. “Right now, there’s a bunch of rules about tampering and so far there has been no accountability around those who are breaking the rules.”
Diaz put it even more bluntly.
“It’s hard to govern those who don’t want to be governed,” Diaz said.
Belichick, heading into his second season at UNC, described a situation that drew laughs from the room: the Tar Heels signed one player and then watched that player sign an identical contract with an SEC school the very next day.
“You can take ‘em to court and fight it and all that, but in the end, by the time you’ve won the case his eligibility is up anyway.” Belichick said.
Oliver also returned to the subject of tampering after raising concerns a year ago about Virginia Tech and running back J’Mari Taylor. At last year’s preview, Oliver said a Tech staff member was on the Central sideline before a November game, and Taylor later transferred - to Virginia.
On Friday, Oliver said he had tried to push the issue further.
”I did call up the school and went to contact the NCAA,” Oliver said. “They don’t care.”
Duke’s offseason quarterback situation was another major talking point. Diaz was again asked about Darian Mensah, who left after leading the Blue Devils to an ACC championship and then entered the transfer portal on the final day of entries in January. Mensah later moved to Miami after legal issues tied to his initial two-year NIL contract with Duke were resolved.
At the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, Miami coach Mario Cristobal said his program did not contact Mensah until after he entered the portal, which suggested no tampering. Pitt coach Pat Naduzzi added a different wrinkle when he told The Athletic that Miami had tried to get his quarterback, Mason Heintschel, to enter the portal late, failed, and then pursued Mensah.
Duke replaced Mensah with Walker Eget, who transferred from San Jose State and received a medical waiver from the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility. Diaz said Friday that Eget has recovered from an ACL injury and will be full-go when camp opens.
Belichick also weighed in on the broader problem of players moving in ways that leave schools with little recourse.
“When you have a set of rules, you’ve got to find a way to enforce them, but the conferences aren’t going to turn against a team in their conference,” Belichick said. “I think Manny losing a player to a conference team at the 11th hour, I think our conference should find a way to keep that from happening. But that’s above my pay grade.”
The line got a big laugh. Belichick is paid $10 million a year at UNC.
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