Analyzing Darian Mensah's First Season with Duke

Manny Diaz attacked the transfer portal with vigor last offseason, and there was no bigger acquisition than quarterback Darian Mensah.

Duke turned heads when it inked the quarterback out of the transfer portal to an NIL deal worth $8 million over two years. In year one, Mensah helped deliver Duke's first ACC Championship Game victory.

Mensah magic 🪄

📺 ABC x @DukeFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/c5OKh2eNr9
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) December 7, 2025

Despite five losses on their record, the Blue Devils got what they wanted and more from Mensah, and he helped elevate the talent around him. The Blue Devils often leaned on Mensah to help the offense outscore the opponent because of the team's struggles defensively.

Nov 29, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz celebrates Duke Blue Devils quarter back Darian Mensah's (10) touchdown against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The leadership of the sophomore quarterback shouldn't be overlooked either. At the helm of the offense, Mensah helped five of his teammates on offense earn All-ACC honors, including tailback Nate Sheppard and wideout Cooper Barkate.

Let's take a look back at Mensah's first season in Durham.

Darian Mensah's 2025 Season

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) warms up before the start of the game against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Thanks to the ACC's tiebreaker rules, Mensah earned the right to play an extra game, which he won on conference championship weekend, and padded his already impressive statistical profile. In 13 games, Mensah threw for 3,646 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and only five interceptions in his first season with Duke.

He guided the Blue Devils to 34 points per game (third in ACC) and 282.2 passing yards per game (second). Mensah was honored as the ACC Transfer Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press and earned second-team All-ACC honors.

Nov 8, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a pass against the UConn Huskies in the first quarter at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Mensah began the year red-hot before the offense became more balanced later in the year. The Tulane transfer threw for at least 250 yards and multiple touchdowns in each of the first eight games of the season.

Offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer was never afraid to push the ball downfield with Mensah this season. Mensah threw 12 touchdowns and just one interception on passes of 20 yards or more downfield this season. He often attacked outside the numbers with his favorite target, Barkate, working on the perimeter.

Dec 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) prepares for a snap in the first quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers during the 2025 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Where Mensah ran into some trouble this season was against the blitz. The Duke offensive line was nominated for the Joe Moore Award this season, but talented edge rushers and complex blitz schemes had some impact on Mensah.

When under pressure, Mensah tended to make some poor decisions. On 164 dropbacks when he faced pressure, he completed just 46.2% of his passes with six touchdowns and one interception. However, he also had eight turnover-worthy plays, according to Pro Football Focus, and was sacked 25 times. He had an average time to throw of 3.77 seconds.

Still, Mensah had some remarkable moments this season. From tossing four first-half touchdown passes in a historic win at Clemson to buying time in the fourth quarter and overtime of the ACC Championship and tossing the game-winning score, Duke fans have to be excited by what they got under center this season.

Another one for Que'Sean Brown! pic.twitter.com/AQKBLOwbaN
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) November 1, 2025

Mensah will face one more test this season against an Arizona State defense that has been quite solid this season. The Sun Devils can give up a big play through the air, but they make up for it with a strong pass rush with 32 sacks this season, second-most in the Big 12.

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