With the midnight deadline looming, the college football landscape was thrown into a late-night frenzy as Duke’s Darian Mensah officially entered the transfer portal, instantly becoming the sport’s most coveted free agent.
The decision by Mensah has sent shockwaves through the sport, transforming the ACC’s most prolific passer into the most sought-after free agent in the country. After months of speculation that he would remain in Durham to build on a historic season that saw Duke win its first ACC championship, Mensah entered the portal.
Mensah’s 2025 campaign at Duke was nothing short of legendary, as he rewrote the school’s record books with clinical efficiency. He finished the year with 3,973 passing yards and an ACC-high 34 touchdowns, including a career-defining performance in the ACC Championship game, where he was named MVP after leading the Blue Devils to a gritty overtime win over Virginia. Under his leadership, Duke captured its first outright conference title since 1962, and Mensah ended his tenure holding single-season school records for passing yards, total offense, and touchdowns.
Despite his previous public commitment to return to Duke, the allure of a new start — and potentially record-breaking NIL opportunities — reshaped his path. Reports have already surfaced linking Mensah to contenders reportedly prepared to facilitate a massive buyout of his existing contract to secure him.
As the portal deadline passes, Mensah’s exit marks a significant loss for Manny Diaz’s program and sets the stage for a high-stakes recruitment battle that could see the star signal-caller land a deal worth upwards of $10 million.
Here are some potential landing spots for one of college football’s best signal-callers.
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Darian Mensah possible landing spots
Miami
Right out of the gate, Miami has emerged as the clear frontrunner to land Mensah. Just days before the Hurricanes take the field against Indiana in their first national championship appearance since 2003, the program finds itself the favorite to secure the sport’s most prolific available playmaker.
BREAKING: Duke star QB Darian Mensah plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos reports.
— On3 (@On3) January 16, 2026
Miami is the school to watch. Https://t.co/wXBfOGRSjp pic.twitter.com/kPyhCWJE58
With Carson Beck finally exhausting his eligibility after a storied season, Mario Cristobal is looking to continue a successful trend that has made Coral Gables a premier destination for elite transfer quarterbacks, following in the footsteps of D’Eriq King, Cam Ward, and Beck himself.
Mensah would be a seamless fit in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s system. He would join an offense that already features breakout superstar Malachi Toney — who shattered freshman records with over 1,000 receiving yards in 2025 — and a bruising 1,000-yard rusher in Mark Fletcher Jr., a daunting duo for the rest of the conference.
If Mensah ultimately chooses the Hurricanes, Miami would be one of the favorites to win the national championship again. With the core of their offensive production returning in 2026, Miami is already positioned as the preseason favorite to repeat as conference champions.
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Ole Miss
Fresh off a coaching change and a CFP semifinal appearance, the Rebels have a gaping hole at the quarterback position. It looks like Trinidad Chambliss will not be given an extra year of eligibility and backup Austin Simmons has already committed to Missouri. Mensah's addition would make the Rebels an SEC contender fresh off a season where they set a program record in wins.
Ole Miss has already gotten the commitment of former five-star Deuce Knight, but a Mensah commitment would shake up the landscape. The Rebels already have one of the best running backs in the country in Kewan Lacy, and despite losing stars like Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins to the NFL, the cabinet is far from empty in Oxford. Pete Golding has been aggressive in the portal to restock the arsenal, landing Syracuse standout Darrell Gill Jr. And Virginia Tech's Isaiah Spencer to provide veteran targets for whoever wins the job.
If Mensah chose the Rebels, he would be the final piece in a high-octane roster that is built to win right now. With Lacy returning after a 1,500-yard, 24-touchdown season and a defensive unit that has been completely overhauled through the portal, Ole Miss is positioned to stay in the national title conversation. Landing Mensah would signal that even with Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU, the Rebels have the NIL resources and roster appeal to remain a premier destination in the new-look SEC.
Florida
The most logical destination outside the "Big Two" is Florida, primarily because of the deep personal connection between Mensah and new head coach Jon Sumrall. Mensah was Sumrall's hand-picked starter at Tulane in 2024, where he threw for over 2,700 yards and 22 touchdowns before the duo went their separate ways — Sumrall to Florida and Mensah to Duke.
With DJ Lagway officially in the portal following a "messy" exit, Sumrall is in desperate need of a high-floor veteran to bridge the gap and stabilize his first season in the SEC. However, the Gators have already been proactive in the portal, securing a commitment from former Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo on January 6. Philo, who followed offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Atlanta to Gainesville, is a former record-setting Georgia high school prospect whom the staff views as a high-upside system fit.
Adding Mensah would likely create an immediate and intense competition with Philo, potentially forcing a win-now"versus developmental choice for a staff that values familiarity above all else. If the Florida NIL collective can match the offers from South Florida, the lure of reuniting with Sumrall and playing in Faulkner’s quarterback-friendly system could be enough to bring Mensah to the Swamp.
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Why is Darian Mensah leaving Duke?
It remains unclear why Mensah is leaving Duke, but most believe the main factor is money.
On December 19, 2025, Mensah initially announced he would return to Duke for his redshirt junior season, bypassing the NFL Draft. However, as the portal window reached its final hours, the possibility of doubling his $4 million-per-year salary while joining a perennial playoff contender likely changed the calculus for his camp.
Despite Duke’s success, the offense took several significant hits in the transfer portal this month. The departures of key playmakers like Que’Sean Brown (Virginia Tech), Andrel Anthony, and Sahmir Hagans weakened the supporting cast that helped Mensah lead the ACC in passing. While Duke added Pennsylvania transfer Jared Richardson, the loss of veteran speed may have influenced Mensah’s confidence in the program’s ability to repeat as champions.
Miami is the obvious favorite and may be the reason Mensah entered the portal. The Hurricanes are currently preparing for the national championship game against Indiana but face a massive quarterback vacancy for 2026 with Carson Beck exhausting his eligibility. After missing out on other top portal targets like Sam Leavitt (LSU) and Dylan Raiola (Oregon), Miami has reportedly focused all its resources on Mensah. Rumors of an NIL package ranging from $7 million to $10 million have made the Hurricanes the clear favorite to land him.
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Darian Mensah stats
| Year | School | Games | Cmp-Att | Pct | Yards | TD | Int | Rate |
| 2024 | Tulane | 13 | 189-287 | 65.9 | 2,723 | 22 | 6 | 166.7 |
| 2025 | Duke | 14 | 334-500 | 66.8 | 3,973 | 34 | 6 | 155.3 |
| Total | Career | 27 | 523-787 | 66.5 | 6,696 | 56 | 12 | 159.0 |
Mensah's 2025 season at Duke was the most statistically dominant in the history of the program, as he set new single-season school records for passing yards, total offense, and total touchdowns. Leading the Blue Devils to a 9–5 record and their first outright ACC Championship since 1962, he finished the year ranked second in the FBS in passing yards and earned Sun Bowl MVP honors after a four-touchdown performance against Arizona State.
His efficiency was a hallmark of his play, completing nearly 67% of his passes while maintaining an elite touchdown-to-interception ratio — including not throwing one in ACC play until the championship game —that made him a top-tier NFL prospect before his decision to return to college for another year.
Prior to his historic run in Durham, Mensah spent two seasons at Tulane, where he emerged as one of the most efficient young quarterbacks in the Group of Five during the 2024 campaign. Starting all 13 games for the Green Wave, he threw for over 2,700 yards and 22 touchdowns, leading the AAC in yards per attempt and completion percentage.
Over his two-year starting career across two different conferences, he has amassed nearly 7,000 passing yards and 58 touchdowns, establishing a reputation as a big-game performer with a career winning record as a starter.
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How old is Darian Mensah?
Mensah is 20 years old. He was born on January 25, 2005, in San Luis Obispo, California.
His rapid rise to stardom is even more impressive considering his age and the fact that he was largely overlooked coming out of St. Joseph High School in 2023. After redshirting his first year at Tulane, he took the starting job by storm as a redshirt freshman in 2024.
Now, as a 20-year-old redshirt sophomore coming off a historic, record-breaking season at Duke, he has positioned himself as one of the most valuable and experienced young signal-callers in the country.
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