Duke Quarterback Darian Mensah to Enter Transfer Portal Ahead of Deadline

College football’s transfer portal closes on Friday, and a high-profile entrant has emerged ahead of the deadline.

Duke starting quarterback Darian Mensah plans to enter the portal and has formally submitted his request for transfer paperwork, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, later confirmed by the quarterback himself.

Thamel reported earlier in the day on Friday that if Mensah were to enter the portal, that Duke believes his revenue sharing contract calls for the school to have his exclusive NIL rights. It’s also Duke’s stance that the program is the only side in the agreement that has the ability to cancel the contract.

Thamel also added that the only way Mensah can access his revenue sharing money is through Duke, unless they were to terminate the contract. Mensah is in the second year of a deal with the school that is set to pay him up to $4 million.

While the portal window closes for players from most schools on Friday, both Miami and Indiana players can enter the portal from Jan. 20 through Jan. 24. Miami’s Carson Beck is graduating and off to the NFL, and the Hurricanes are the favorite to land Mensah should he leave Duke. Thamel also cited Ole Miss as a high-profile program in need of a quarterback, but a third, Tennesee, is not recruiting Mensah.

Expect plenty of contractual fallout between Mensah and the Blue Devils by the time this is all said and done, but if and when he does indeed make it into the portal.

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