Duke QB Darian Mensah reverses course, will enter transfer portal after all
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- Darian Mensah reverses his Dec. 19, 2025 commitment and will enter the transfer portal.
- He led the ACC in passing and guided Duke to its first ACC title since 1989 in 2025.
- Duke now must replace Mensah and backup Henry Belin IV amid rising NIL market.
Quarterback Darian Mensah often talked during the 2025 football season about being happy at Duke, about being grateful for the opportunity, about playing for Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz.
Now, he’s leaving, a one-and-done at a school more famous for producing those athletes on a basketball court.
Mensah, on the final day of the NCAA football transfer portal window Friday, has entered the portal for a second time, confirming his decision in a social media post.
Mensah leaves after leading the ACC in passing in 2025, after leading the Blue Devils to their first ACC championship since 1989.
Previously, on Dec. 19, 2025, Mensah posted to his Instagram account that he was returning to Duke.
Mensah came to Duke from Tulane, accepting what was widely reported as a $4 million NIL package for 2025, one of college football’s most lucrative arrangements. But his success in the past season may have upped the NIL ante for the California native.
With Mensah leaving, the Blue Devils will be looking to sign a quarterback out of the portal. Henry Belin IV, who was Mensah’s backup this past season, also has entered the portal.
Having started his career at Tulane, Mensah left the Green Wave in December 2024 after one year as a starter to sign a lucrative NIL deal — reported to be $4 million per season — to play at Duke.
“This year was everything to me,” Mensah said in late 2025. “This team, this locker room, this family welcomed me with open arms.”
While leading Duke to an 8-5 record and the program’s first ACC championship since 1989, Mensah completed 305 of 449 passes (67.9%) for 3,646 yards with 30 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He led the ACC in passing yards and touchdowns, as well as passing yards per game (280.5).
In the ACC title game, Mensah’s 1-yard touchdown pass, on fourth down, to Jeremiah Hasley provided the winning points in a 27-20 overtime win over Virginia. Mensah completed 19 of 25 passes for 196 yards with two touchdowns in the title game.
The Blue Devils closed out this season Dec. 31 in the Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas, against Arizona State. In that game, a 42-39 Duke come-from-behind win, Mensah completed 29 of 51 passes for 327 yards with four touchdowns. That included his 17-yard touchdown pass to Que’Sean Brown for the game-winning score with 2:10 to play.
Brown also entered the portal this offseason, and has committed to play at Virginia Tech.
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 5:04 PM.