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The coming of the annual Triangle Pigskin Preview always means one thing: The offseason talk is about to end and the practicing and playing of games about to begin.
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It should be the last time N.C. State’s Dave Doeren, Duke’s Manny Diaz and UNC’s Bill Belichick will be sitting together, gobbling down chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes before answering questions Friday about football, their teams, the upcoming 2026 season.
N.C. Central’s Trei Oliver again took his seat at the dais, and East Carolina’s Steve Shankweiler, a former assistant coach who handles the Pirates’ high school and alumni relations, was a sit-in for head coach Blake Harrell, who was at the American Conference football media day.
“We’re kind of coming out of the doldrums now,” Diaz said. “It’s time for training camp and some football.”
Diaz was seated next to Belichick and the two appeared to have a nice chat during the lunch portion of the program, presented for the 24th year by the National Football Foundation’s Bill Dooley Chapter.
The gist of the talk? Football? Life? Families?
“All of the above,” Diaz said. “We’re all fighting the same dragon, right? It’s just fun to have a moment to get into conversations with Bill or Dave and share some thoughts on a multitude of topics.”
One topic Friday for the coaches centered on the wholesale tampering in college sports, on how best to address it, correct it, punish people for doing it. Tampering of athletes is a part of the “dragon” that Diaz mentioned.
“Accountability is paramount,” Doeren said. “Right now, there’s a bunch of rules about tampering and so far there has been no accountability around those who are breaking the rules.”
Added Diaz: “It’s hard to govern those who don’t want to be governed.”
Belichick, entering his second season at UNC, said the Tar Heels signed one player and the next day had the player sign an identical contract with an SEC school.
“You can take ‘em to court and fight it and all that, but in the end, by the time you’ve won the case his eligibility is up anyway.” Belichick said, drawing laughs from the crowd.
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At the Pigskin Preview a year ago, Central’s Oliver called out Virginia Tech for tampering with running back J’Mari Taylor, saying a Tech staff member was on the Central sideline before a November game. Taylor eventually transferred — to Virginia.
”I did call up the school and went to contact the NCAA,” Oliver said Friday. “They don’t care.”
One topic Diaz is hoping to permanently put to rest is the departure of quarterback Darian Mensah after last season. Diaz faced a lot of questions about it — as did Mensah — at the recent ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, about Mensah breaking his NIL contract with Duke to leave for Miami.
Mensah led the Blue Devils to an ACC championship, then stuck his name in the transfer portal late on the final day of entries in January. After some sticky legal issues were resolved about Mensah breaching his initial two-year contract with Duke, the QB immediately transferred to Miami.
Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said at the ACC Kickoff that his program did not contact Mensah until after he had entered the portal. The inference: no tampering involved.
Pitt coach Pat Naduzzi turned some heads at the ACC Kickoff after telling The Athletic that the Hurricanes tried to lure his quarterback, Mason Heintschel, into entering the portal late, was unsuccessful, then went after Mensah.
Duke was left searching for an available quarterback and found one in Walker Eget, who transferred from San Jose State and received a medical waiver from the NCAA that allowed him a sixth year of eligibility. Eget has rehabbed an ACL injury and is full-go for the start of camp, Diaz said Friday.
“When you have a set of rules, you’ve got to find a way to enforce them, but the conferences aren’t going to turn against a team in their conference,” Belichick said. “I think Manny losing a player to a conference team at the 11th hour, I think our conference should find a way to keep that from happening. But that’s above my pay grade.”
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That brought a big laugh. Belichick is paid $10 million a year at UNC.