Star quarterback's shock transfer to Miami leaves Duke scrambling for answers at the most critical position heading into spring football.
Duke pulled off a late-season surprise by upsetting Virginia in the ACC Championship Game despite earning five losses in the regular season.
The Blue Devils would go on to beat Arizona State in the Sun Bowl, finishing with a 9-5 record.
There was hope for Duke that the program could take a leap in 2026 with quarterback Darian Mensah. However, the Blue Devils saw Mensah's true colors when he transferred to Miami in the offseason.
It shouldn't have been too big of a surprise for Duke, given that Mensah transferred from Tulane before the 2025 season.
(The Green Wave did alright without Mensah, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff.)
Andrea Adelson and David Hale of ESPN noted that the Blue Devils have serious questions at quarterback after losing Mensah (in addition to wide receiver Cooper Barkate).
"But at the last moment, Mensah opted to transfer anyway -- bringing top receiver Cooper Barkate with him -- and landed at Miami, leaving Duke without a clear answer at the most important position. Transfer Walker Eget provides a veteran presence, but perhaps limited upside.
"Redshirt freshman Dan Mahan was supposed to be the QB of the future, but that future may be now. Either way, what once looked like a promising year for the Blue Devils will begin with massive questions about whether they have a QB who can win ballgames."
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal didn't waste anytime bragging about his new quarterback, calling Mensah an "alpha" on the Hurricanes.
“He’s really good,” Cristobal said. “He’s accurate, he’s got an unbelievable sense, and his pocket awareness is off the charts. His off script stuff and his on schedule stuff is elite. He’s got the right temperament.
"He is an alpha and he’s got a great personality. People really gravitate to him. He’s really athletic and he’s a hard worker. He’s really smart. He checks all the boxes. It’s a great, young quarterback room that he can groom as well."
With Mensah out, Duke probably won't be chasing dreams of a College Football Playoff run in 2026.
With that being said, the team can develop their young talent into a contender for the future, and Duke should have faith that a CFP is attainable after winning the ACC last season.