Darian Mensah's top target is set to follow his QB right out the door

Well, it suddenly looks like the Duke Blue Devils are about to become a prime example of what not to do when a star player decides to leave for the transfer portal.

When quarterback Darian Mensah announced he was transferring, it hit the Blue Devils like a shock wave, especially since he had "recommitted" to Duke just a few weeks earlier. Then, the school and the athletic department decided it was a good idea to take legal action against Mensah.

Since then, the Blue Devils have collected their fair share of wins, including a temporary restraining order, virtually barring Mensah from actually suiting up for any team other than Duke.

Now, it seems like players are starting to take notice of the mess in Durham, and they don't exactly appreciate their former QB1 having to go to court, even if they didn't like him leaving the Blue Devils in the first place.

Duke's legal fight with Mensah could destroy Manny Diaz's locker room

In a shocking turn of events, Mensah's No. 1 wide receiver Cooper Barkate entered the transfer portal, seemingly following his quarterback right out the door.

Barkate, who transferred to Duke from Harvard and has one season of eligibility remaining after utilizing his redshirt in 2022, had 1,106 receiving yards for seven touchdowns this season, leading the receiving room in both stat columns.

Over four years of his collegiate career, Barkate has amassed 2,848 receiving yards for 21 touchdowns, with his career season high in yardage not coming until Mensah was throwing him the football.

Also read: Duke's Darian Mensah transfer portal replacement couldn't be more obvious

Barkate was the first offensive player to enter the transfer portal following Mensah's announcement and subsequent legal battle with Duke, but it could be a bad sign for head coach Manny Diaz of what's to come.