The Duke Blue Devils won the ACC championship with Darian Mensah. Another ACC program wants the quarterback as he enters the transfer portal.
Duke pulled off a surprise in the late season by upsetting then-No. 17 Virginia 27-20 in overtime in the ACC championship.
The Blue Devils’ 8-5 record kept the College Football Playoff committee from putting the program in the tournament. Duke finished its season with a 42-39 win over Arizona State in the Sun Bowl.
The season appeared to be a success, with head coach Manny Diaz having something substantial to build on after his second season with the program.
However, the Blue Devils received a shock on Friday for their quarterback roster in 2026.
Per On3, Darian Mensah is expected to enter the transfer portal. ACC rival Miami was immediately linked to Mensah by On3, which is a clear kick in the pants to Diaz, the former Hurricanes head coach.
Mensah threw for 3,646 yards with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025. The sophomore added one touchdown on the ground.
Mensah, a transfer from Tulane before 2025, signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Duke. He threw for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions as a freshman with the Green Wave.
On Dec. 19, it was reported Mensah would return to Duke in 2026. Nearly a month later, the quarterback appears to have had a change of heart.
It would be hard for Mensah to turn down Miami after seeing Georgia transfer Carson Beck lead the Hurricanes to a national title appearance.
Before the Sun Bowl, Diaz praised Mensah for becoming a leader of the Duke program.
“I’m looking forward to Darian really establishing himself as the leader of our program,” Diaz said, via The News & Observer. “From a program standpoint, it’s having that stability at that position for back-to-back years. We’re really looking forward to it. “I think he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
"What I love about Darian, and why he fits so well at Duke, is because of his preparation. At Duke, we want to prepare like we’ve never won and play like we’ve never lost. And that’s what Darian has. He has great confidence.”
When rumors emerged that Mensah would hit the transfer portal on Friday, there was some speculation Miami tampered to land the quarterback. It'll be interesting to see if Diaz files a complaint.