The transfer portal in college athletics is essentially a chaotic form of free agency.
Programs across the country find guys they like, backchannel to their people to see if there is interest in transferring, and, in the event the idea is mutual, that player ends up entering the portal to change locations.
Basically, if you have a good player (or players), there's a very high chance that there are people associated to other programs who are reaching out to see what their future plans are.
For the schools in The Triangle (Duke, North Carolina, and NC State), all three programs have lost some key players to other schools. While they all have done work to replenish that lost talent, there are some players who were big-time contributors who they wish they could've kept in the fold.
Looking ahead to the 2026 college football season, these are the players that The Triangle schools wish they were able to retain for another season.
Duke- Darian Mensah, Quarterback
This one is a no-brainer for the Blue Devils, who lost their star quarterback to ACC foe Miami.
Mensah led Duke to an ACC title a season ago, as fans had very high expectations for the program heading into what would've been his second season on campus. He threw for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns, only throwing six interceptions over his 500 attempts.
As we all know- star quarterbacks are tough to come by, and if you have one, there's a very good chance a top-tier program (mostly SEC schools) are going to try to swoop in.
In this case, it's the Hurricanes, who have a history of tampering, we mean, recruiting, quarterbacks from other schools. Losing Mensah hurts for Duke, as his presence would've made them a sure-fire contender for another ACC crown.
North Carolina- Khmori House, Linebacker
Yes, it doesn't seem like Khmori House was very happy in Chapel Hill, but man, is he a gifted linebacker who made an immediate presence upon his arrival last offseason.
Following Steve Belichick from Washington to Chapel Hill, House was a force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the football. He led the team with 81 tackles and was one of the few bright spots on a defense that struggled throughout the 2025 season.
Now set to play for his third team in as many seasons, House will look to bring his production to the SEC. For the Tar Heels, they once again have to reshape the linebacker position, as House's void is one that won't be easy to fill.
NC State- Hollywood Smothers, Running Back
Not only does this transfer departure hurt the Wolfpack in terms of production, but it stings a bit more because he is an in-state product.
When it comes to guys who are from North Carolina, there always seems to be an extra emphasis on wanting to keep them around. For Smothers, his loss was a huge one for NC State as they worked to build their offensive attack for this upcoming season, one he was once again supposed to be a key contributor for.
Similar to the Mensah situation, a College Football Playoff contending team came in and swooped Smothers up. He'll head to the SEC to join the Texas Longhorns, but, it would've been very interesting to see what he could've done with another season at NC State.
If Texas makes a run for a national title and Smothers plays a huge role, this one will hurt even more for Wolfpack fans who were heartbroken already when he decided to leave town.
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