Duke Drops Heavily in 2026 ACC Football Power Rankings

Head coach Manny Diaz and the rest of the Duke football program went through an absolute gauntlet of a 2025 offseason. After closing out the year with a Sun Bowl victory following its first ACC Championship victory since 1989, the Blue Devils have now been set back several steps.

The Blue Devils had publicly resigned both star quarterback Darian Mensah and star wide receiver Cooper Barkate. Mensah led the ACC in passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2025, while Barkate finished second in the conference in receiving yards en route to becoming the first 1,000-yard Duke receiver since Jamison Crowder in 2014.

Shortly after, it all came crashing down. Mere hours before the NCAA Transfer Portal entry window was set to close on Jan. 16, Mensah announced he would be entering the portal. A few days later, Barkate followed.

Duke eventually sued Mensah for breaching the terms of his NIL contract, but it was ultimately settled outside of court. Both Mensah and Barkate transferred to Miami.

Duke’s Expectations Completely Changed in Just a Few Days

Just after the 2025 campaign had concluded, Duke was entering 2026 with legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations. It had won the ACC and was bringing back its top three offensive pieces with Mensah, Barkate, and running back Nate Sheppard.

The Blue Devils were put in an impossible position following Mensah's and Barkate's portal entries, given that the entry window was already closed. This left Diaz and his staff scrapping together a team at the last second.

dia — Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz celebrates defeating the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Just about two weeks after looking like arguably the best team in the ACC, Duke now doesn't look to have the makeup to compete at nearly the same level it did in 2025. As a result, the Blue Devils aren't ranked highly in the latest 2026 ACC Football Power Rankings.

dia — Nov 29, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz looks on against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the fourth quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Duke Outside of Top Ten in ACC Football Power Rankings

CBS Sports' Chip Patterson recently released his edition of the early 2026 ACC Football Power Rankings. Despite winning the conference crown in 2025, Duke is slotted all the way down at No. 11.

"Two players do not make an entire roster, but the late-cycle losses of quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate certainly dent the outlook for Duke in 2026," Patterson said.

sheppar — Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard (20) receives a hand off in the second quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"Throw in the departures of Que'Sean Brown to Virginia Tech and Terry Moore to Ohio State and it's tough to say Duke came out on the positive side of this portal cycle."

Duke will be one of the biggest question-mark-heavy teams in the ACC in 2026. However, Duke wasn't expected to do much in 2025, and look how that ended up.

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