Mensah's candidates: Duke QB late add to portal

What’s Happening

Alright so Duke starting quarterback Darian Mensah is entering the transfer portal.

Mensah’s decision comes less than a month after he chose to return to school instead of entering the NFL draft. Duke QB Darian Mensah changes mind, enters transfer portal play Duke wins the ACC championship on a TD and wild INT in OT (1:27) Darian Mensah finds Jeremiah Hasley for the go-ahead touchdown in overtime and Luke Mergott comes up with the game-sealing interception for Duke. (plot twist fr)

(1:27) Max Olson Jan 16, 2026, 05:14 PM ET Close Covers the Big 12 Joined ESPN in 2012 Graduate of the University of Nebraska Follow on X Email Print Open Extended Reactions Duke starting quarterback Darian Mensah is entering the NCAA transfer portal.

The Details

Mensah submitted his request for transfer paperwork Friday, ahead of the midnight deadline for FBS and FCS players to enter the portal. “This wasn’t an easy decision, but after talking with my family, I believe it’s in my best interest to enter the transfer portal,” Mensah dropped in a post on X .

Miami looms as the expected favorite in Mensah’s recruitment when he officially becomes available. The Hurricanes have signed transfer quarterbacks in consecutive years — Cam Ward and Carson Beck — and have not landed one during the two-week transfer window that opened Jan.

Why This Matters

Editor’s Picks Quarterback Mensah returning to Duke next year Andrea Adelson Transfer portal trends: Rising prices, plenty of QBs, and 1,200 players without a home Max Olson Ranking the best players in the college football transfer portal Max Olson 2 Related Mensah had decided Dec. 19 to return to Duke for his redshirt junior season after exploring the possibility of entering the NFL draft. ’s quarterback rankings for the 2026 draft before his latest decision.

This is the kind of move that can define a season.

The Bottom Line

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 grants the university his exclusive name, image and likeness rights, which could prevent Mensah from earning revenue-sharing money at his next school unless Duke terminates its deal.

Are you here for this or nah?