Darian Mensah led Duke to an ACC title and now tops college football QB rankings. See where this former star lands next.
The Duke Blue Devils appeared to be a team that would compete for greater things in 2026 after quarterback Darian Mensah led the team to a win in the ACC Championship Game.
The Blue Devils had too many losses to be in contention for the College Football Playoff last season, but the team had promised for the future with a star quarterback.
However, Mensah made a stunning move to transfer from Duke to the Miami Hurricanes this offseason. The Hurricanes had the money to pay for Mensah's services following a run to the CFP national championship.
Miami also has a history of helping quarterbacks get the league with Cam Ward and Carson Beck.
The Hurricanes hope Mensah can keep them in the running to win the CFP national championship in 2026.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports appears to think Mensah can do that. He ranked the former Blue Devils quarterback as the No. 5 signal caller for the 2026 season and the No. 1 quarterback in the ACC.
"The Hurricanes' 2026 answer following back-to-back jackpots with transfer quarterbacks Cam Ward and Carson Beck," Crawford wrote.
"Mensah starred at Dukelast season and helped the Blue Devils win a conference championship after throwing for 34 touchdowns and nearly 4,000 yards. Mensah reached a settlement with Duke in January a few days after the Blue Devils filed a lawsuit following his intentions to enter the portal."
In January, Mensah explained that he believed it was in his best interest to leave Duke for Miami."I'm forever grateful for Duke and the coaching staff. Thank you Duke family for everything," Mensah wrote on X.
"This wasn’t an easy decision, but after talking with my family, I believe it's in my best interest to enter the transfer portal."
It'll be tough for Duke fans to watch Mensah play for Miami in the upcoming season. If he plays as well as advertised, the Blue Devils will have a hard time avoiding the thought of what could have been if he stayed with Duke.
That's the story of college football these days. Duke received Mensah as a transfer from Tulane before the 2025 season. The Green Wave still managed to make the playoffs sans Mensah.