Duke QB Darian Mensah changes mind, enters transfer portal

Duke starting quarterback Darian Mensah is entering the NCAA transfer portal.

Mensah submitted his transfer paperwork request Friday, ahead of the midnight deadline for FBS and FCS players to enter the portal.

“This was not an easy decision, but after speaking with my family, I believe it is in my best interest to enter the transfer portal,” Mensah said in a post on X.

Miami emerges as the expected favorite in recruiting Mensah when he officially becomes available. The Hurricanes signed transfer quarterbacks in consecutive years — Cam Ward and Carson Beck — and didn’t land one during the two-week transfer window that opened Jan. 2.

Mensah had decided Dec. 19 to return to Duke for his redshirt junior season after exploring the possibility of entering the NFL draft. He was No. 5 in Mel Kiper Jr.’s quarterback rankings for the 2026 draft before his latest decision.

The quarterback was entering the second year of a two-year deal with Duke that would pay him up to $4 million in 2026. If Mensah leaves Duke, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that his contract gives the university exclusive rights to his name, image and likeness, which could prevent Mensah from earning revenue-sharing money at his next school unless Duke terminates his deal. There is no specific buyout amount in Mensah’s contract with Duke, sources told Thamel.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound redshirt sophomore from San Luis Obispo, Calif., transferred from Tulane to Duke after the 2024 season and led the Blue Devils to their first outright ACC championship since 1962 with a 27-20 overtime victory over No. 17 Virginia in the conference title game.

Mensah earned second-team All-ACC honors after producing a conference-leading 3,973 passing yards on 67 percent passing with 35 total touchdowns and six interceptions. He has started 27 career games at Tulane and Duke and has two years of eligibility remaining.

If Mensah leaves the program on the final day of the NCAA transfer window, it will put coach Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils in a difficult position with few proven options available in the portal.

Backup quarterback Henry Belin IV has already entered the portal as a graduate transfer and committed to Missouri State on Thursday.

Duke closed out a 9-5 season with a 42-39 victory over Arizona State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on December 31.