Duke coach Manny Diaz said this week that schools should receive a transfer fee when developed players leave for other programs, invoking the European soccer model during an appearance on On3's Andy Ari On3 show.
The comments come as the Blue Devils sit at 4-1 following a narrow loss at Georgia Tech, and months after quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate transferred to Miami after helping Duke win the 2025 ACC championship.
NEW: Duke head coach Manny Diaz tells @AndyAriOn3 that schools should receive a "transfer fee" when players portal:
— On3 (@On3) October 15, 2026
"If you sign a bunch of great recruits and you develop them and they go somewhere else, I'll go back to European soccer. You should receive a transfer fee." pic.twitter.com/NhDl2m7Rut
Diaz's latest comments on the portal
"If you sign a bunch of great recruits and you develop them and they go somewhere else, I'll go back to European soccer," Diaz said. "You should receive a transfer fee."
The proposal is not entirely new territory for Diaz, who has spoken repeatedly about the structural challenges created by the current transfer portal rules since Mensah's departure in January.
At the time, Mensah had publicly indicated he planned to return to Duke for a second season before reversing course on the final day of the portal window. Duke responded by filing a lawsuit in an attempt to enforce the terms of his NIL contract.
The two sides eventually reached a settlement that allowed Mensah to complete his transfer to Miami, where he has started all five games this season. Barkate, who caught 72 passes for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns as Mensah's primary target in 2025 and earned second-team All-ACC recognition, followed him to Coral Gables shortly after.
Diaz addressed the situation in March, saying the program had "moved on" and describing the portal as "the new normal" in college football. At ACC Kickoff in July, he declined to accuse Miami of tampering, stating that "you can only say what you can prove" and that Duke's issue had always been with the contract itself rather than any specific school.
Duke's 2026 season without Mensah
Duke replaced Mensah with San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, who has thrown for 980 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception through five games. The Blue Devils opened the season with four consecutive wins, including a 31-27 road victory at Illinois and a 35-7 win over Stanford, before falling 28-25 at Georgia Tech.
The loss came on a missed field goal in the final seconds after Duke had taken a late lead. The Blue Devils will host North Carolina on Saturday.
Eget's production has been solid, but has not matched the volume Mensah provided in 2025, when the quarterback threw for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns while leading the ACC in both categories.
Duke's offense has still managed 34.0 points per game this season, and the defense has held opponents to 14.4 points per game.
Mensah and Barkate departures
After transferring from Tulane, Mensah helped the Blue Devils win their first outright ACC title since 1962. He earned second-team All-ACC honors and the MVP award in the championship game against Virginia. Barkate was a Harvard transfer and led Duke in receiving yards.
At Miami, Mensah has directed an offense that ranks first nationally in scoring, while Barkate has 19 receptions for 241 yards and four touchdowns through five games.
Duke will travel to Miami on Nov. 14 for a matchup that will reunite Diaz's program with Mensah and Barkate.
Add us as a preferred source on Google