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Manny Diaz isn’t looking back at what could have been for Duke’s offense had Darian Mensah stayed for another season as the Blue Devils’ quarterback. Entering his third year in charge of the Blue Devils, he is looking forward to what his current roster can do in 2026.
But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t asked about the Mensah situation as Duke’s spring practice opened on Tuesday.
“It’s been a while, and we’ve kind of moved on,” Diaz said. “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.”
It was one of college football’s biggest controversies this offseason as Mensah, who had a two-year contract with the Blue Devils, entered his name in the transfer portal at the last minute after declaring his intent to return to Durham for his second year. The university and Mensah’s representation got involved, eventually settling out of court. Before the ink was dry, Mensah (and former Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate) were in Miami as new members of the Miami Hurricanes.
That left Diaz and his coaching staff in a pickle when it came to finding a quarterback for next season. In comes Walker Eget, the San Jose State transfer who is expected to take over the starting role after Mensah’s departure.
“To be able to get someone with his experience, with 18 starts over two years, over 3,000 passing yards in ‘25, these are things that really fill a massive gap for us,” Diaz said.
As for how and when Mensah left the Duke program, Diaz realizes it's part of the territory in college football now.
“This is just a new normal in college football,” Diaz said. “The deck reshuffles every year, and you try to play yourself to a winning hand. “We’ve found a way to win in a different way every year we’ve been here. Again, you look at who you have, and that’s what we do in the spring. We analyze where our strengths are and find a way to line ourselves up in the best position to win football games in the fall.”
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Manny Diaz opens up for first time on Darian Mensah's departure
Continue reading...
But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t asked about the Mensah situation as Duke’s spring practice opened on Tuesday.
“It’s been a while, and we’ve kind of moved on,” Diaz said. “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.”
It was one of college football’s biggest controversies this offseason as Mensah, who had a two-year contract with the Blue Devils, entered his name in the transfer portal at the last minute after declaring his intent to return to Durham for his second year. The university and Mensah’s representation got involved, eventually settling out of court. Before the ink was dry, Mensah (and former Duke wide receiver Cooper Barkate) were in Miami as new members of the Miami Hurricanes.
That left Diaz and his coaching staff in a pickle when it came to finding a quarterback for next season. In comes Walker Eget, the San Jose State transfer who is expected to take over the starting role after Mensah’s departure.
“To be able to get someone with his experience, with 18 starts over two years, over 3,000 passing yards in ‘25, these are things that really fill a massive gap for us,” Diaz said.
As for how and when Mensah left the Duke program, Diaz realizes it's part of the territory in college football now.
“This is just a new normal in college football,” Diaz said. “The deck reshuffles every year, and you try to play yourself to a winning hand. “We’ve found a way to win in a different way every year we’ve been here. Again, you look at who you have, and that’s what we do in the spring. We analyze where our strengths are and find a way to line ourselves up in the best position to win football games in the fall.”
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Manny Diaz opens up for first time on Darian Mensah's departure
Continue reading...
