Darian Mensah was one of the biggest transfer portal quarterbacks of the offseason.
And he chose Duke.
That says a lot about this new era of college football, where a lot of factors can lead a rising star QB from Tulane to choose a basketball school
The reported value of Mensah's deal: $8 million over two years in NIL money.
But there's more to that story, as The Athletic broke down this week.
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How much did Darian Mensah get to transfer from Tulane to Duke?
When Mensah transferred, CBS Sports reported he was going to get that $8 million over two years figure.
This week, The Athletic offered a bit of confusing clarity. Here's what they wrote:
"Two people involved in the negotiations said that figure is accurate. Others involved in the negotiations said it is not. (Binuk) Kodituwakku, who manages Duke’s contract negotiations, did not offer specifics but said, 'The number’s not as high as what’s been said, and it’s very incentive-laden.' But even if Mensah earns closer to $3 million, it would put him in an exclusive club with Miami’s Beck, Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, Oklahoma’s John Mateer and Penn State’s Drew Allar. (Texas’ Arch Manning may be making more from endorsements.)"
According to The Athletic, Mensah now has his own house and a Mercedes, bought a Dodge Charger for his mom and started a foundation for young athletes in his hometown.
“It all happened so fast,” Mensah told The Athletic. “I didn’t really get to sit back and realize how life-changing NIL could be.”
So whatever the exact figure, Tulane lost a special QB to Duke, and Mensah secured a sizable bag.
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