Miami coach Mario Cristobal has dragged the No. 10 Hurricanes to the national championship game against all odds, after barely squeaking into the College Football Playoff at the expense of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Canes have ground impressive wins against No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 2 Ohio State, and No. 6 Ole Miss.
While Cristobal’s focus has been on the much-anticipated national championship game against the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers, he has also been rebuilding his roster for next season as the transfer portal closed on Jan. 16.
Mario Cristobal Warns Canes Stars After Darian Mensah Move
With Carson Beck set to depart Miami for the NFL via the draft, the Hurricanes have been scrambling for a quarterback in the transfer portal.
On Friday, Duke Blue Devils star QB Darian Mensah controversially entered the transfer portal and was heavily linked with a move to Coral Gables in what is the latest high-visibility QB move in a busy window and will reportedly cost up to $10 million.
While speaking to reporters on Saturday, Cristonal spoke about staying true to his coaching methods despite the volatility of players entering the transfer portal at the slightest inconvenience.
“If you have to change the way you coach because you’re afraid of the portal, you weren’t doing it right to begin with,” Cristobal said.
Mensah is one of the most talented quarterbacks remaining in the portal. He earned a PFSN College QB Impact score of 88.2 after accounting for 3,973 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while leading the Blue Devils to an ACC championship this season.
Canes’ Mensah Move Mired in Legal Ramifications
Any potential transfer for Mensah will carry legal ramifications. According to Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellenger, the Duke Blue Devils own the talented quarterback’s NIL rights, and any potential payout will impact his next school’s revenue-share pie.
“QB Darian Mensah is in the second year of a 2-year deal with Duke at $4M annually. Per @flasportsbuzz, he is expected to sign with Miami. Like most rev-share contracts, Duke’s deal prohibits another university from using Mensah’s NIL – a legal entanglement that must be resolved,” Dellenger tweeted.
“If a buyout is paid by Mensah’s new school – possibly the value of the contract ($4M) – it will be reduced from the revenue-share pool of his new school, according to House settlement rules.”
Miami has carved out a niche in college football as a finishing school for elite quarterbacks before they head to the NFL via the draft. Despite the accompanying controversy, Mensah would fit the mold of the last two QBs signed by Cristobal for the Hurricanes.
