Detailed 2026 College Football Snapshot:
Duke Blue Devils
After Duke’s Historic ACC Title,
Diaz May Face Tricky Rebuild
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated Aug. 21, 2026)
Regardless of what happens during the upcoming 2026 season, Duke coach Manny Diaz already has worked a miracle in Durham.
North Carolina-based college football programs have captured just two Atlantic Coast Conference titles in the past 37 years. Coach Jim Grobe led Wake Forest to the league championship in 2006, and Diaz took the Blue Devils to that promised land just last year.
That’s it. That’s the entire Bold North State list, over almost four decades. Despite consistently bigger gridiron budgets, more populous fan bases and much larger football stadiums, NC State (most recent ACC title = 1979) and UNC (1980) aren’t even worthy of a modern-day mention in this category.
Duke’s most recent ACC title had come in 1989, a shared honor with Virginia (long before the creation of the ACC championship game) under legendary coach Steve Spurrier. The Blue Devils’ most recent outright crown had come in 1962, meaning 63 years — or two full generations — prior, under legendary coach Bill Murray, who (like Spurrier) also went on to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
That’s elite company for the 52-year-old Diaz, whose only previous head coaching experience ended with his dismissal. From 2019-21, Diaz led Miami to a 21-15 record and one top-25 national finish, but those results obviously weren’t good enough for the decision-makers in Coral Gables.
In Durham, Diaz’s back-to-back nine-win campaigns (each also included a winning record in ACC competition) to begin his tenure were unprecedented.
Since Murray retired in 1965, 12 men — Tom Harp, Mike McGee, Shirley Wilson, Steve Sloan, Spurrier, Barry Wilson, Fred Goldsmith, Carl Franks, Ted Roof, David Cutcliffe, Mike Elko and Diaz — each have had two or more seasons leading the Blue Devils.
Among those 12 coaches, only two — Cutcliffe and Diaz — managed to post even two consecutive winning records in conference play. Cutcliffe managed the feat in 2013 (10-4, 6-2 ACC) and 2014 (9-4, 5-3), in the middle of his 14-year tenure (2008-21). To his eternal credit, Diaz pulled it off in his first two Duke campaigns.
So, what does Diaz do for an encore?
Well, that won’t be easy.
Prior to Duke’s title-winning season in 2025, the Blue Devils lost only one 2024 player they wanted to keep to the transfer portal. That continuity and stability ultimately served as the foundation for their championship campaign.
This time, the Devils not only lost four players to the portal, all four were All-ACC honorees, and one (quarterback Darian Mensah) was the conference championship game MVP. Instead of serving as building blocks at Duke this season, Mensah (Miami), wide receiver Cooper Barkate (Miami), safety Terry Moore (Ohio State) and all-purpose wideout/return ace Que’Sean Brown (Virginia Tech) will be helping other Power Four schools.
Whereas Duke remains a healthy program and an extremely well-coached football team, can the Blue Devils possibly avoid a significant dropoff at the all-important QB position, whether those duties fall to sixth-year senior Walker Eget (a San Jose State transfer) or redshirt freshman Dan Mahan? Can they also seamlessly overcome the offseason loss of three NFL draft picks and at least 10 others now in professional training camps?
Historically, when Duke is mediocre (or worse) in football, one of the main reasons is subpar play in the trenches. From their title team, the Devils lost three starting offensive linemen and all four starting defensive linemen, raising legitimate questions about those long-time areas of concern.
Even if the Blue Devils are better than expected at the line of scrimmage, their 2026 road schedule may make it very difficult to continue their streak of nine-win seasons, with trips to Illinois, Georgia Tech, Virginia, NC State, Miami and Wake Forest on the horizon.
“I haven’t noticed a bunch of people shouting out that Duke is on top of the mountain,” Diaz said. “We’ve kind of fallen back to the bottom half of the pile again, so I think that’s immediately established a chip on our shoulder for our guys.”
2026 DUKE FOOTBALL
Head Coach: Manny Diaz, 3rd season (18-9 overall, 11-5 ACC, 2 bowl games, 2025 ACC championship)
Offensive Coordinator: Jonathan Brewer (3rd season with Blue Devils, 3rd season as Devils’ OC)
Defensive Coordinator: Jonathan Patke (3rd season with Blue Devils, 3rd season as Devils’ DC)
Returning Starters/Offense (4): fifth-year C Matt Craycraft, fifth-year TE Jeremiah Hasley (HM All-ACC), fifth-year G Jordan Larsen, sophomore RB Nate Sheppard (2nd-team All-ACC)
Returning Starters/Defense (3): senior LB Luke Mergott, senior CB Kimari Robinson, senior S DaShawn Stone
Returning Starters/Special Teams (1): junior P Kade Reynoldson
Most Accomplished Incoming Transfers (6): fifth-year Coastal Carolina LT Nick Del Grande (2x HM All-Sun Belt, 3-year starter), sixth-year San Jose State QB Walker Eget (HM All-MWC, 5,563 career passing yards, 30 TD), fifth-year Rutgers RB CJ Campbell Jr. (2024 3rd-team All-AAC at FAU, 1,114 career rushing yards), fifth-year North Texas S Patrick Smith-Young (3-year starter), fifth-year Penn WR Jared Richardson (3x All-Ivy, 2,505 career receiving yards, 27 TD), fifth-year Dartmouth DT Dakota Quinonez (1st-team All-Ivy)
Other Intriguing Incoming Transfers (5): fifth-year Louisville TE Nate Kurisky, fifth-year Cal OT Braden Miller, fifth-year Charlotte WR Javen Nicholas, senior Stanford S Che Ojarikre, fifth-year Northwestern CB Evan Smith
NFL Draft Departures (3): DE Wesley Williams (fourth round, Jaguars), CB Chandler Rivers (fifth round, Ravens), OL Brian Parker II (sixth round, Bengals)
NFL Free Agent Departures (10): WR Andrel Anthony (Falcons), DE Vincent Anthony Jr. (Chiefs), RB Anderson Castle (Colts), OL Bruno Fina (Bills), LB Jaiden Francois (Eagles), DT Josiah Green (Buccaneers), WR Sahmir Hagans (Colts), DT Aaron Hall (Panthers), OL Justin Pickett (Raiders), S Caleb Weaver (Jets)
Key Transfer Portal Departures (4): QB Darian Mensah (2nd-team All-ACC, 6,696 career passing yards, 56 TD), Miami; WR Cooper Barkate (2nd-team All-ACC, 2,848 career receiving yards, 21 TD), Miami; S Terry Moore (2024 2nd-team All-ACC, 116 career tackles), Ohio State; WR/PR Que’Sean Brown (2024 HM All-ACC PR, 1,310 career receiving yards, 7 TD), Virginia Tech
2026 Duke Schedule
Sat., Sept. 5—Tulane, 3:30 p.m. (ACCN)
Sat., Sept. 12—at Illinois, 3:30 p.m. (FS1)
Sat., Sept. 19—Stanford, 4 p.m. (The CW)
Sat., Sept. 26—William & Mary, 3:30 p.m. (ACCX)
Sat., Oct. 3—OPEN
Sat., Oct. 10—at Georgia Tech
Sat., Oct. 17—North Carolina
Fri., Oct. 23—at Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Sat., Oct. 31—Boston College
Sat., Nov. 7—at NC State
Sat., Nov. 14—at Miami
Fri., Nov. 20—Clemson, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sat., Nov. 28—at Wake Forest
Preseason Media Poll: Duke = 10th among 17 ACC teams
DG/NCSN Regular-Season Prediction: 7-5
