Head coach Manny Diaz finished his first regular season with an impressive 9-3 record. As he goes into the offseason, The Chronicle will track both transfer portal acquisitions and departures for the Blue Devils, along with coaching changes:
Transfers out
Carter Wyatt: Wyatt becomes the first Blue Devil to enter the transfer portal this offseason, as the redshirt sophomore announced Dec. 9 he would be looking for a new home. After not seeing any game action his first two seasons, the Shallotte, N.C., native racked up two tackles in the 2024 campaign.
Maalik Murphy: Diaz will be looking for his second starting quarterback in as many years. On Dec. 9, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that starting quarterback Maalik Murphy would be entering the transfer portal, a major blow to Duke’s offense. Murphy announced his commitment to Oregon State Dec. 19.
Grayson Loftis: It’s a quarterback exodus in Durham, as Loftis becomes the second signal caller in as many days to enter the transfer portal. The Gaffney, S.C., native started five games during his freshman season in relief of Riley Leonard, racking up 1006 yards and eight scores over his Blue Devil career. Loftis will stay in North Carolina, committing to Charlotte Dec. 20.
Casey Donahue: The specialists group takes a hit, as the senior long snapper elected to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 13 as a grad transfer.
Montreze Smith Jr.: Duke loses its first member of last year’s recruiting class, as Smith announced his intention to enter the portal Dec. 15 after playing in just four games. During his lone year on campus, the former three-star linebacker racked up one tackle. Smith announced he is headed to Western Kentucky for a fresh start.
Star Thomas: Duke’s workhorse running back announced his intention to enter the transfer portal Dec. 26. His X post called the announcement “by far the hardest decision I ever made.” Thomas, who joined the Blue Devils after two years at New Mexico State, rushed for 871 yards and seven touchdowns. He started the majority of the year after Jaquez Moore got hurt, and Thomas will have one more year of eligibility.
Transfers in
Darian Mensah: After two Duke quarterbacks announced their entry into the portal, Diaz immediately secured a replacement. The Tulane transfer — who was ESPN’s top-rated portal prospect at the time — committed to the Blue Devils Dec. 11. Read the full brief here.
Josiah Green: Duke continues its Ivy League connection in the transfer portal for another year, as Dartmouth defensive tackle Josiah Green announced his commitment Dec. 18. This season, the All-Ivy first team selection racked up 49 tackles and three sacks, and the grad transfer should help fill the hole left by the graduation of Kendy Charles.
Andrel Anthony Jr.: Duke gets an experienced receiver in the portal, as Anthony told On3 he would be joining the Blue Devils Dec. 19. Anthony has dealt with injury of late, only appearing in seven games with Oklahoma over the past two years. However, at the time of his October 2023 knee injury, he was the leading receiver for the Sooners. The 6-foot-1 wideout played his first two years at Michigan and has amassed 761 total yards in his career.
Caleb Weaver: The Blue Devils worked fast to replace the production of graduating safety Jaylen Stinson, adding Weaver to their defensive secondary. The former Sam Houston State Bearkat announced his decision Dec. 21. The redshirt junior safety was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy this season, given to the best former walk-on in the nation. He racked up 97 tackles, including 69 solo tackles, and four interceptions in 2024.
Jaiden Francois: Duke adds another member to its secondary, as the former Utah State corner will be joining the Blue Devils, according to a Dec. 23 X post from Duke football. The Florida City, Fla., native racked up 51 tackles this year for the Aggies.
Anderson Castle: The Blue Devils add another member to a loaded running back room, as Castle announced his decision Dec. 24 to head to Durham. The former Appalachian State ball carrier racked up 246 yards on 50 carries this year for the Mountaineers.
Cooper Barkate: With the loss of two veteran receivers in Eli Pancol and Jordan Moore, Diaz has quickly worked to rebuild the wideout room. Barkate signed with the Blue Devils Dec. 28 after three years with Harvard. This season, he made a name for himself as one of the best in the Ivy League, earning first-team All-Ivy honors in a 1,000-yard season with the Crimson.
Coaching changes
Willie Simmons: The former Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M head coach is going back to the head coaching ranks, as Florida International hired Simmons to a four-year deal Dec. 7. Diaz and Simmons crossed paths at Middle Tennessee between 2007-09, and Diaz hired Simmons to be the running backs coach with the Blue Devils this season.
Chris Foster: Duke announced Simmons' replacement Jan. 9. Foster coached running backs at Northwestern for the past two seasons and has prior experience coaching running backs at a host of Group of 5 programs including East Carolina and Georgia Southern.
This tracker will be updated as the offseason continues.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.