Darian Mensah is leaving Duke for the transfer portal, and it has left a gaping hole in the offensive depth chart.
As fans reeled from his announcement, his Blue Devil teammates were processing their emotions as well, specifically star running back Nate Sheppard
Nate Sheppard heartbroken by Darian Mensah's departure
When Mensah announced he was heading to the portal, Sheppard took to social media and kept his reaction simple, only tweeting out a singular crying emoji.
😪
— Nate Sheppard (@NateShep20) January 16, 2026
Sheppard and Mensah carried (literally) the Duke offense this last season, as the Blue Devils worked their way through the regular season, to the ACC Championship game, and into the postseason.
As Mensah led the air-raid offense, earning 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns through the air, Sheppard led the ground game, earning 1,132 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
Originally, both players announced that they were returning for another season with the Blue Devils in 2026. Now, Mensah is rumored to be leaving for the Miami Hurricanes. Immediately after Sheppard tweeted out his reaction, fans started panicking that he was leaving as well.
Without Mensah in the backfield, Sheppard and Duke head coach Manny Diaz are going to have to go with a backup plan, or also find a new quarterback from the portal.
In 2025, the Blue Devils had four other quarterbacks on the depth chart, including redshirt junior Michael Appel Jr., junior Henry Belin IV, freshman Lawrence Gardner, and freshman Dan Mahan.
Belin was the only other quarterback to attempt a pass throughout the season, earning two completions for 22 yards and zero touchdowns. Appel is the most experienced of the four quarterbacks, having played three seasons for the Valparaiso Beacons.