The annual Pigskin Preview really signals the end of all that offseason talk for North Carolina’s college football scene. Coaches from N.C. State, Duke, UNC, N.C. Central, and East Carolina came together, shared a meal, and talked about the 2026 season—and, honestly, the messier sides of college sports too.
The National Football Foundation’s Bill Dooley Chapter hosted the event. It gave coaches a rare chance to reflect on their teams and the wild landscape of college football these days.
The Coaches’ Roundtable
N.C. State’s Dave Doeren, Duke’s Manny Diaz, and UNC’s Bill Belichick were the main faces at the table. N.C. Central’s Trei Oliver and East Carolina’s Steve Shankweiler joined in too.
Even though everyone was enjoying the food, the conversation kept circling back to the season ahead and the headaches facing their teams. Diaz, sitting next to Belichick, pointed out how there’s this real sense of camaraderie among the coaches. He said they talk about football, life, and families—pretty much everything.
But honestly, the unity can only go so far when it comes to the bigger issues on their plates.
Tackling Tampering in College Sports
Tampering was front and center. It’s become way more common for athletes to get lured—sometimes under the table—to transfer schools.
Doeren called for more accountability. He said there are rules, but nobody really enforces them. Diaz agreed, admitting it’s tough to govern people who just don’t want to play by the rules.
Belichick tossed in a story that got a few laughs but made his point. He talked about a player who signed with UNC, then turned around and signed an identical contract with an SEC school the very next day.
“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. The crowd got it—it’s a mess, and current enforcement just isn’t cutting it.
Case Studies of Tampering
Last year, N.C. Central’s Trei Oliver called out Virginia Tech for tampering with running back J’Mari Taylor. Taylor still ended up transferring to Virginia.
Oliver tried going to the NCAA for help but didn’t get much of a response. It’s a familiar story for a lot of coaches these days.
Diaz had his own headache with quarterback Darian Mensah. Mensah left Duke for Miami after helping the Blue Devils win the ACC, and the situation got messy.
The Mensah Saga
Mensah’s transfer was a real flashpoint. He entered the transfer portal at the last minute in January, which set off a bunch of legal wrangling over his NIL contract with Duke.
Once that was sorted, Mensah headed to Miami. Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal insisted his staff didn’t contact Mensah until after he was officially in the portal. But the whole thing left people wondering—how clean is this process, really?
Enforcing the Rules
Belichick didn’t mince words about enforcement. He said conferences need to step up and actually do something about tampering in their own backyard.
“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,” he said. The other coaches seemed to agree—it’s tough to police your own.
Proposed Solutions
No one had a magic fix, but a few ideas came up:
- Stricter penalties for tampering: Maybe harsher consequences would finally make schools think twice.
- Improved oversight: An independent group handling transfers and rule enforcement could help level the playing field.
- Enhanced transparency: More detailed reporting on transfers and NIL deals might make it easier to spot tampering when it happens.
The Road Ahead
With the 2026 season creeping up, coaches are mostly focused on getting their teams ready. N.C. State, Duke, and UNC are all hoping for big things, while N.C. Central and East Carolina want to build on what they’ve got.
Even with all the tampering drama, the coaches seemed to agree—college football’s future still looks pretty bright. Or at least, they’re choosing to believe it does.
Looking Forward
Diaz is honestly pretty excited about Walker Eget. Eget transferred from San Jose State to Duke and, after rehabbing an ACL injury, he’s been cleared to play.
*Eget has rehabbed an ACL injury and is full-go for the start of camp,* Diaz said. That’s got the coaches buzzing—they can’t wait to see their teams get out there and see what happens.
For more detailed insights and updates on the Pigskin Preview and the upcoming college football season, you can check out the full article on The News & Observer.
The season’s almost here, and fans are in for some wild games and classic rivalries. There are still issues, sure—tampering comes to mind—but honestly, the drive and energy from coaches and players should make the 2026 season pretty memorable.
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