The Duke Blue Devils find themselves backed into a quarterback corner.
Darian Mensah entered the transfer portal mere hours before it closed. Which means the chances of Duke landing a quality QB replacement weren't particularly good, given that most transfer QBs had already committed.
But there's an option out there for them as of Tuesday morning: Alberto Mendoza.
The younger brother of Indiana's Heisman winner, Fernando, Alberto was the backup for the Hoosiers but reportedly entered the transfer portal the morning after the national championship.
According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Blue Devils are after Alberto.
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Their competition may be fellow ACC member Georgia Tech.
In addition to Georgia Tech, Duke is among the other teams that could end up being in the mix with Indiana QB transfer Alberto Mendoza, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 20, 2026
Mendoza, the younger brother of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, was IU’s backup QB this year. Https://t.co/mULndSWvYu pic.twitter.com/9PjQH2shA4
There was some thought that Alberto would just take over for Fernando in Bloomington next season after older brother goes off to the NFL.
But the Hoosiers landed a talented veteran QB, TCU's Josh Hoover, in the transfer portal, which likely squashes that plan.
That's why Alberto is in the portal, and it's why a team like Duke could wind up being the perfect fit.
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