Tag: Duke football

ESPN gives Duke less than a 17% chance to beat Ole Miss in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

The Blue Devils face Ole Miss in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl this January, and the ESPN Matchup Predictor isn’t on the Duke’s side.

The Duke Blue Devils and Ole Miss Rebels will enter the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl with the same record, but ESPN Analytics doesn’t see the two programs as evenly matched.

The ESPN Matchup Predictor gives Duke a 16.9% chance to upset the SEC program and win a 10th game for the second time in school history.

The Rebels remained in College Football Playoff contention for much of the season, knocking themselves down the ladder with a 20-17 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats and an overtime road defeat to the LSU Tigers, but a home win over the Georgia Bulldogs kept them alive with two games left on the schedule. The Florida Gators eventually closed the door on Ole Miss with a 24-17 upset in Week 13, dropping the Rebels down to 8-3 and ending their postseason hopes.

Despite the losses, it’s easy to argue Ole Miss rivaled the ceiling of any of its conference opponents. The Rebels finished seventh in scoring offense (37.5) points per game, ended up fourth in scoring defense (13.9), and led the nation with 52 sacks and 116 tackles for loss.

However, the Blue Devils have found ways to win almost every game on their schedule. Despite the ESPN Football Power Index projecting a 6-6 season, Duke erased four fourth-quarter deficits to finish 9-3. With quarterbacks [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] and Grayson Loftis in the transfer portal, however, they might need more magic for a final win.

Did the Cameron Crazies help Duke football land transfer quarterback Darian Mensah?

Former Tulane QB Darian Mensah committed to Duke just hours after he stood among the Cameron Crazies at a Tuesday night basketball game.

The Duke football program made its first offseason splash on Wednesday morning when Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah committed to transfer to the Blue Devils, but did the Cameron Crazies play a role in his decision?

Mensah visited Durham on Tuesday and attended the Duke basketball game against Incarnate Word. During the second half, the student section chanted for him to join them in the stands.

The former Green Wave passer, it seems, is a man of the people, because he obliged. WXII 12’s Chanel Porter shared a video of him walking along the baseline and clambering up the stairs among his future classmates, much to the appreciation of the home crowd.

Perhaps the Tulane transfer was always going to choose the Blue Devils, and he may have made up his mind before the Crazies started chanting his name. But it’s hard to imagine the student section didn’t make a positive impression at the very least.

Oh, and [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and his teammates won their fourth straight game, surging past UIW with a dominant second half for the 72-46 victory.

Former Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy writes his goodbye to the Blue Devils and fans

Former Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy shared his goodbye to Blue Devils fans after his decision to enter the transfer portal.

[autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] and the Duke football fans may not have expected their union to last a single season, but the 2024 starting quarterback let the Blue Devils faithful know what they meant to him on Wednesday morning.

Roughly 36 hours after the initial announcement that Murphy would enter the transfer portal for the second time in two offseasons, he shared a short statement to social media to thank Duke fans for their support over the past four months.

“Blue Devil Nation, thank you for this amazing chapter in my life,” Murphy wrote. “It was one I can always remember and learn from. Thank you for your love and support throughout the highs and lows this season, it’s been a pleasure playing in Wally Wade.”

Despite his decision to leave the program, several of Murphy’s teammates let the world know they still loved their quarterback. Star wideout [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] and All-ACC defensive back [autotag]Chandler Rivers[/autotag], among others, made sure to share supportive messages as he seeks his next home.

Murphy threw for 2,933 yards and a program-record 26 touchdowns this season, completing 60.3% of his passes. The former Texas Longhorns quarterback played his best football at the end of the season, averaging 286.4 passing yards and scoring 14 total touchdowns in the final five games.

Former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah announced his commitment to the Blue Devils on Wednesday morning.

Top transfer portal quarterback Darian Mensah commits to Duke football

The Duke Blue Devils found their 2025 quarterback when former Tulane star Darian Mensah committed to the program on Wednesday.

Former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah must have been pretty impressed with his Tuesday visit with the Blue Devils, because he told ESPN reporter Pete Thamel on Wednesday that he’d committed to play for Duke next season.

Mensah, a 6-foot-3 redshirt freshman, threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns in 13 games with the Green Wave this season. He picked up 9.5 yards per attempt and completed 65.9% of his passes while only throwing six interceptions, and he added 132 yards and another score on the ground.

Duke’s newest quarterback finished with a trio of 300-yard games last season, including a career-high 342 yards against Kansas State back in Week 2, and he threw multiple touchdown passes in eight different games. Tulane ended the year with a 9-4 record, reaching the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.

As of Wednesday morning, Mensah was 247Sports’ No. 6 quarterback in the portal, but ESPN graded him as the best overall player available on Tuesday night.

Mensah helps rebuild a Duke quarterback room that last starter [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] and sophomore [autotag]Grayson Loftis[/autotag] to the transfer portal over the previous 48 hours. Murphy threw for a program-record 26 touchdowns this season while Loftis started five games for the Blue Devils in 2023.

Duke quarterback Grayson Loftis joins Maalik Murphy in the transfer portal

Grayson Loftis became the second Duke quarterback to hit the transfer portal in 24 hours on Tuesday afternoon.

For the second time within 24 hours, a Duke quarterback announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday afternoon.

On3 transfer portal reporter Pete Nakos said that sophomore Grayson Loftis will enter the transfer portal and search for a new team this offseason. Nakos cited Loftis’s agent, Shane Burnham, in the report.

Loftis didn’t throw a pass for the Blue Devils in 2024, but he picked up four yards on two carries on the ground. He appeared in eight games as a freshman last season, throwing for 1,006 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions.

The South Carolina native put together his best game against Drake Maye and the North Carolina Tar Heels, throwing for 189 yards and scoring four total touchdowns in the 47-45 overtime loss. He completed 55.8% of his passes and averaged 6.2 yards per attempt in that debut season.

Texas Longhorns transfer [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] won the starting job for 2024, but the coaching staff didn’t name him as the starter until a few weeks before the season to let Loftis challenge him for the top spot on the depth chart. However, with Murphy declaring his intention to enter the transfer portal on Monday night, it appears Henry Belin IV will be the primary quarterback against Ole Miss in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Jordan Moore and Chandler Rivers show love to Maalik Murphy after transfer portal decision

Duke football stars Jordan Moore and Chandler Rivers shared their support for quarterback Maalik Murphy after his decision to transfer.

Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] made the relatively surprising decision to hit the transfer portal again after one year as the program’s starter, but it seems the former Texas Longhorn still made an impact on his teammates.

Star wideout [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] and All-ACC cornerback [autotag]Chandler Rivers[/autotag] both expressed their admiration for Murphy on social media on Tuesday, the morning after he announced his choice to leave.

“Great teammate and great friend,” Moore wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Go be great.”

Murphy and Moore connected for 798 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024 despite the senior receiver battling injuries for most of the season. They teamed up for one of the best plays of the season against Wake Forest, a 39-yard touchdown on the final play that cemented a 23-17 victory.

The walk-off touchdown will likely be Murphy’s final snap with the Blue Devils after he confirmed he wouldn’t play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Ole Miss.

“Always love on this end 6,” Rivers added from his own X account.

The third-year corner made the All-ACC First Team with 52 total tackles, 7.5 TFLs, and three interceptions as a junior.

Duke football hosts top-ranked transfer portal quarterback for a visit

The Duke Blue Devils lost quarterback Maalik Murphy to the transfer portal on Monday, but a potential replacement came to Durham on Tuesday.

Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] won’t return to Durham for the 2025 season, but head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his staff might have a lead on his potential replacement.

ESPN senior writer Pete Thamel reported that former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah scheduled a Tuesday visit with the Blue Devils, the first program he’s visited since entering the portal.

As of Tuesday morning, Mensah is 247Sports’ No. 3 overall transfer quarterback prospect. The redshirt freshman and former three-star prospect saw the field for the first time this season and looked remarkably productive, throwing for 2,723 yards and running for 132 more with 23 total touchdowns. He completed 65.9% of his passes and averaged 9.5 yards per attempt, only throwing six interceptions while tossing multiple touchdown passes in eight different games.

Mensah made waves ahead of this season when he beat out former Oregon Ducks quarterback Ty Thompson, a former top-100 prospect from the Class of 2021, for Tulane’s starting job. He guided Tulane to a 9-4 record and an appearance in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.

Two Duke football players named to Associated Press All-ACC First Team

Two Duke Blue Devils made the All-ACC First Team squad released by the Associated Press on Monday.

The Associated Press released its All-ACC football teams, and cornerback [autotag]Chandler Rivers[/autotag] and offensive tackle Brian Parker II both made the First Team.

Rivers, the only Duke football player on the All-ACC First Team named by the conference itself, ended the 2024 season with 52 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and nine other pass breakups. He returned one of those interceptions for a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles in Week 8, his second straight season with a pick-six against FSU, and he nabbed passes from SMU’s Kevin Jennings and Miami quarterback Cam Ward.

Parker made the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week for his Week 6 performance against Georgia Tech and the site’s ACC Team of the Week after the season finale against Wake Forest. According to PFF tracking, he only gave up eight pressures and no sacks in 467 pass-blocking snaps.

Offensive guard Caleb Krings, defensive tackle Kendy Charles, and safety Terry Moore all made the Second Team. Charles, a Liberty transfer, ended the season with 49 total tackles, 7.0 TFLs, and two sacks, and Moore tied Rivers with three interceptions.

Will Maalik Murphy play for Duke in TaxSlayer Gator Bowl after transfer portal decision?

After the Monday reveal that Duke QB Maalik Murphy will enter the transfer portal, he confirmed he won’t play in the upcoming bowl game.

For the first time this season, the Blue Devils will have to start a quarterback other than [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] at the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

ESPN reporter Pete Thamel announced Murphy’s decision to enter the transfer portal on Monday night, and the senior writer confirmed Murphy would not play for Duke against Ole Miss on January 2.

The former Texas Longhorn threw for 2,933 yards and a program-record 26 passing touchdowns in his first season with the Blue Devils, completing 60.3% of his passes and averaging 7.0 yards per attempt. He was at his most productive at the end of the season, averaging 286.4 yards with 14 total touchdowns over his last five games.

The Blue Devils finished 14th out of 17 ACC teams in passing yards per attempt this season, but Murphy ended the year seventh among conference quarterbacks in yards and fourth in scoring throws. While he threw three interceptions against both Miami and Virginia Tech to end the year with 12 picks, he played clean football in four of the team’s eight ACC games.

Redshirt sophomore Henry Belin IV was the only other Duke player to throw a pass this season, completing his only pass against Northwestern in Week 2. He’ll serve as the top option against the Rebels as Duke seeks the second 10-win season in school history.

Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy to enter the transfer portal again

In a stunning Monday night report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy will re-enter the transfer portal.

In a surprising development, it seems Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] will only spend one season in Durham.

ESPN reporter Pete Thamel reported on Monday night that Murphy would enter the transfer portal for the second time in two offseasons.

The redshirt sophomore spent his first two years with the Texas Longhorns before he transferred to Duke for the 2024 season. He started all 12 regular-season games for the Blue Devils, leading the team to nine victories and setting a single-season program record with 26 passing touchdowns. He and senior wideout [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] connected for a 39-yard score on the final play against Wake Forest in Week 14, a walkoff touchdown that appears to be Murphy’s final snap in a Duke uniform.

Murphy also told Thamel he would not play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Duke’s postseason battle against the Ole Miss Rebels.

Grayson Loftis, who started several games for the Blue Devils in 2023, battled Murphy for the starting spot all offseason. With the starter’s departure, it appears Loftis and Henry Belin IV will be the primary quarterbacks against the Rebels.