which Blue Devils are leaving and who are the new faces through the winter?

Last updated: Sunday 15 December at 1 p.m

The Duke football program hasn’t had too much damage done to it with the transfer portal, as departures have been relatively quiet throughout this winter cycle. But the team also made a big splash early on.

Manny Diaz led Duke to a 9-3 record and a berth in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against #16 Ole Miss in his first season at the helm in Durham. Duke received the third-most votes of any non-polling team looking into the final poll of the season, with the only programs ahead of Duke being Texas A&M and Louisville.

Despite receiving votes for the majority of the second half of the season, the Blue Devils never made it into the poll.

Here is the updated list of arrivals and departures in the transfer portal for the Duke Blue Devils.

Departures

Maalik Murphy – (QB, RS Sophomore)

Murphy announced his decision to transfer and opt out of Duke’s Dec. 9 bowl game after one season with the program. The sophomore spent his freshman year at Texas and will now look for his third school in three years. Murphy finished the 2024 season starting every game for Duke, finishing with 2,933 yards in the air and a 56.5 QBR. He also threw 26 passing touchdowns to set a Duke single-season record previously set by Anthony Dilweg in 1988.On3’s Transfer Portal Industry Ranking has Murphy as the #21 player in the portal and #3 quarterback.

Carter Wyatt – (LB, RS Sophomore)

Considered a 3-star recruit out of West Brunswick High School (NC), Wyatt committed to Duke in January 2022. The linebacker did not see game action in 2023 or 2024 and will now look for a new home in the Portal. On3’s industry rankings list Wyatt as the 106th ranked linebacker in the portal.

Grayson Loftis – (QB, Sophomore)

Loftis appeared in 6 games for the Blue Devils as a true freshman in 2023, throwing for 1,006 yards, 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He led Duke to a 17-10 victory over Troy in the 2023 76 Birmingham Bowl. He sat behind Murphy this past season and didn’t log a single pass attempt. On3 ranks Loftis as the #92 quarterback in the portal.

Casey Donahue – (LS, Senior)

Donahue spent four years with the Duke program and will now enter the portal as a grad transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. On3 lists Donahue as the #22 long snapper in the portal.

New arrivals

Darian Mensah (Tulane) – (QB, RS Freshman)

Duke football’s lone transfer commitment thus far comes from one of the top players on the portal in Mensah. Mensah started every game for Tulane this past season as a redshirt freshman and threw for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while leading the Green Wave to a berth in the AAC Championship game and a trip to the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl against Florida Gators. On3 lists Mensah as the #4 quarterback in the portal.

The transfer window hasn’t been as hectic for Duke as it has been for many other power conference programs, but this is where the program stands about halfway through the winter cycle.