Duke's offseason has ESPN analysts doubtful for repeat ACC title

After leading Duke to its first outright ACC title since 1962 and back-to-back nine-win seasons, Manny Diaz was certainly hoping that he could use that momentum to take the Blue Devils to even higher heights in 2026.

Unfortunately, the transfer portal was not good to Diaz and Duke, as they saw starting quarterback Darian Mensah and leading receiver Cooper Barkate transfer to ACC rival Miami, leaving the Blue Devils looking for answers at the last minute. And while Diaz and his staff did a solid job in landing quarterback Walker Eget and receiver Jared Richardson from the portal, the loss of the two stars from last year’s team is bound to sting.

ESPN’s Eli Lederman, Max Olson and Adam Rittenberg took notice, and when ranking where the Blue Devils’ offseason compared to the rest of the conference, they weren’t friendly, putting Diaz and Duke at 12th out of the 17 teams.

But things didn’t go all bad for the Blue Devils. From ESPN on what went right:

Eget getting cleared by the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility was critically important. He was a two-year starter who threw for more than 5,500 yards in his time with the Spartans. Duke's offense will run through All-ACC back Nate Sheppard and added an FCS All-American at wideout in Richardson from Penn, a new option at tight end in Louisville's Nate Kurisky and a 35-game starter at tackle in Del Grande from Coastal Carolina.

The Blue Devils have been in this position before, with Maalik Murphy leaving after the 2024 season for Oregon State, so there’s hope that another huge season is in store for Duke.

This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Duke's offseason has ESPN analysts doubtful for repeat ACC title