Manny Diaz on Darian Mensah's departure for Miami: 'We're not going to be a victim'

Although Darian Mensah was a Duke Blue Devil for just one season, he will go down as one of the best players in program history.

Mensah, who transferred from Tulane prior to the 2025 season, led Manny Diaz‘s program to its first ACC Championship victory since 1989. The star quarterback passed for a whopping 3,973 yards (second most in FBS) and 34 touchdowns (T-second most in FBS), cementing himself as one of the best players in the country. A month after committing to return to the program, however, Mensah shocked everybody by entering the Transfer Portal.

It didn’t take long for the San Luis Obispo, CA native to sign with Mario Cristobal and Miami, fresh off a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Although Mensah’s departure from Duke rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, Diaz is choosing to take the high road. In a conversation with On3’s Andy Staples, Diaz discussed how the program handled Mensah’s shocking transfer.

“You know, my overriding emotion is gratitude,” Diaz said. “I really mean that. I am thankful that Darian Mensah came to Duke. I’m grateful that we were able to win the ACC together. We had a great relationship together. Your mindset from that very first day is ‘we’re not going to be a victim.’ We won the championship. That banner will hang in that stadium forever. Now, we find a new way to win again.”

Manny Diaz likens Darian Mensah leaving to Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City

Duke has surprisingly been one of the most consistent programs in college football over the past four seasons. The Blue Devils have won at least eight games across the past four seasons, and won nine games in three of those years. They are also 3-1 in bowl games, including their electric 42-39 victory over Arizona State in the 2025 Sun Bowl.

“We won very differently in 2025 than we did in 2024. We have different strengths in our team now in 2026, and our responsibility is to find a way to win in 2026,” Diaz continued. “There have been stories in pro sports where the top players left through free agency. It’s happened before. The best franchises respond. We talked to our team about when Kevin Durant left the Thunder. You can argue that in the dozen years since then, they are now the best NBA franchise ever.

“There’s always a way forward, and my responsibility is to make sure everyone in the program knows what that is.”

Duke looks to rebound for its fifth consecutive eight-plus win season in 2026. As the reigning ACC Champions, however, a target will surely be on its back.