Duke made one of the biggest moves of the 2025 season when they signed quarterback Darian Mensah away from Tulane.
Mensah was excellent for the Blue Devils, completing 334-of-550 passes (66.8%) for 3,973 yards with 35 total touchdowns (34 through the air) and just 6 interceptions. Mensah earned a PFSN CFB QB Impact score of 88.2, a B+ grade. He led Duke to a 9-5 season, including an ACC Championship, their first since Steve Spurrier roamed their sidelines.
After the 2024 season, Mensah had initially announced his intention to return to Duke for the 2025 season. However, recent developments suggest his plans might be changing.
Darian Mensah Weighing Transfer Portal Decision
Mensah reportedly signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Duke.
In December 2024, Mensah posted on Instagram, writing “Let’s run it back” with a video, reaffirming his plan to return for the 2025 season.
“This year was everything to me,” Mensah said. “This team, this locker room, this family welcomed me with open arms … When the odds were against us, we kept fighting. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.”
However, reports emerged in early 2025 indicating that Mensah’s plans to return may now be uncertain, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
“If quarterback Darian Mensah were to leave Duke, it’s the school’s understanding that his contract calls for them to have his exclusive NIL rights and only Duke has the ability to cancel that,” writes Thamel.
Duke’s exclusive NIL rights complicate Mensah’s transfer options.
“The only way he can access revenue share money is through Duke, unless they terminate the contract,” reports Thamel. “Mensah is in Year 2 contract for a deal that would pay him up to $4 million. The ability for any school to pay him outside of revenue share would be scrutinized.”
The only way he can access revenue share money is through Duke, unless they terminate the contract. Mensah is in Year 2 contract for a deal that would pay him up to $4 million. The ability for any school to pay him outside of revenue share would be scrutinized.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 16, 2026
Given these circumstances, Duke will undoubtedly do whatever they can to keep Mensah after he delivered the school’s first ACC Championship since 1989, which predates the arrivals of Florida State and Miami in the conference (especially in Miami’s case).
We’ve seen language in contracts work well already this season with Florida State retaining their twin defensive lineman, Mandrell and Darryll Desir, largely because of the buyout written into their contracts. Although this isn’t the exact same type of language, Duke is obviously hoping they get similar final results.
With just a few hours left in the 2025 transfer portal window – which closes at midnight – marquee teams, such as Miami, still need a quarterback as the window closes, especially with Miami set to lose Carson Beck after Monday’s National Championship game.
Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds, as Duke is clearly determined to hold onto a talent like Mensah.
