Five key players Duke football needs to keep from entering transfer portal
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Transfer portal moves are already being made for Duke football.
While the college football transfer portal officially opens Friday, Jan. 2, and closes Friday, Jan. 16, players have already began announcing their intentions for the upcoming season. As of Monday, Dec. 15, three Blue Devils have announced their intentions to enter the portal: RB Peyton Jones, S Maliki Wright and CB Vontae Floyd.
Duke (8-5) won the ACC title by taking by Virginia, 27-20, in overtime on Dec. 6. It marks the program’s eighth-overall conference title and first outright since 1962. Duke is now set to face Arizona State in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 31 to close its season, marking the Blue Devils’ fourth consecutive bowl appearance.
With the focus now shifting to roster retention, here are five key players Duke football needs to keep in the transfer portal, all expected to be major contributors in 2026.
Darian Mensah, QB
Duke’s biggest transfer portal addition ahead of the 2025 season more than lived up to the hype.
Mensah threw for 3,646 yards and 30 touchdowns while completing 67.9% of his passes, leading Duke to the ACC championship and earning game MVP honors. He also set the program’s single-season record for touchdown passes and led the ACC in passing and was third in the FBS, being named to the Second Team All ACC.
The San Luis Obispo, California, native transferred to Duke from Tulane following the 2024 season and is widely regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, reportedly signing a two-year contract worth $4 million a year with the Blue Devils. With his former Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall now at Florida and Gators starting quarterback DJ Lagway entering the transfer portal on Monday, Dec. 15, Mensah is more than likely to draw national interest this portal season. It should be noted, though, that CBS Sports’ John Talty reported on Dec. 15 that Mensah was either going to declare for the NFL Draft or return for his second year at Duke.
Nate Sheppard, RB
Duke largely emphasized its running game heading into 2025, and with the introduction of true freshman Nate Sheppard, the Blue Devils achieved that. Sheppard was a huge part of a revitalized Duke running back room this season, rising to the top of the depth chart midway through the season and finishing as a Second Team All ACC honoree.
The freshman led the team with 178 carries for 962 yards and 10 scores, setting the Duke freshman regular season yards and touchdown record. The Mandeville, Louisiana, native came to Duke as a three-star prospect, enrolling early in January 2025. With such a large impact in 2025, Sheppard will no doubt continue to be a key piece of Duke’s offense moving forward as it looks to keep its offense multi-dimensional.
Terry Moore, S
Moore was a huge piece of the Duke secondary before suffering a torn ACL after intercepting Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis in the endzone on a trick play last year’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The graduate student was a Second Team All-ACC selection in 2024, starting all 13 of Duke’s games while finishing the season with 71 total tackles, 10 pass deflections, seven tackles for loss, four interceptions and two forced fumbles. He did not see the field in 2025 due to his ACL tear.
It total during his Duke career, the Washington, North Carolina, native has recorded 116 total tackles, 12 pass deflections, 10.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Cooper Barkate, WR
The Harvard transfer made waves during his first season in Durham. A Newport Beach, California, native, Barkate was Mensah’s top target, hauling in 68 passes for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns, becoming Duke’s first 1,000-plus yard receiver since 2014. Barkate was named as a Second Team All ACC honoree.
The 6-foot-1 wideout will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Luke Mergott, LB
Mergott rose to a huge role in 2025, coming up with the game-sealing interception in the ACC championship game. The redshirt sophomore out of Berlin, Maryland, stepped up for an injury-depleted Duke linebacker corpa, finishing with 80 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, four pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and a sack and interception a piece.
Mergott will be a huge returner for Duke’s linebacker corps in 2026.
Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@usatodayco.com or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke football key players to retain, keep from transfer portal
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos