How Far Darian Mensah Fell in Latest QB Rankings

Despite a relatively strong performance against Georgia Tech, Duke Blue Devils' quarterback Darian Mensah saw his ranking in the nation's top quarterback rankings slip significantly

CBS Sports' David Cobb compiled a list of the top 50 quarterbacks in the country, which he does following every week of college football action.

Oct 4, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws on the run against the California Golden Bears during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

There is movement across the entire list, but Mensah's fall down the rankings seems a bit outlandish. Of course, other factors cause movement, including the performance of other quarterbacks around the nation.

With that being said, here is where Cobb has Mensah slated entering Week 9 of the 2025 College Football season.

Mensah's Steep Fall

Oct 4, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a pass against the California Golden Bears during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Heading into Week 8, Cobb had the sophomore quarterback right on the cusp of the top 10, as Mensah was ranked 11th overall. Following Duke's loss to the Yellow Jackets, Cobb shoved Mensah down 13 spots to the 24th position on this list.

The defeat to Georgia Tech must have been all Cobb needed to place Mensah where he did. However, that seems a bit outlandish when assessing the whole landscape of the performance.

Why Mensah Deserves to be Higher in the Rankings

Sep 27, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) runs out of the pocket in the first quarter against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Wins and losses are attributed solely to the signal caller and are viewed as a quarterback stat, which is fair and unfair, simultaneously. However, that is how things work in football. The quarterback receives all the praise when the team wins and deals with all the criticism when the team loses.

Nonetheless, Mensah does not deserve to find himself this low in the rankings, as the result of the game does not accurately represent his performance.

The former Tulane signal caller completed 32-of-44 pass attempts for 373 yards and two touchdowns. Albeit a portion of that statistical production was padded on the final drive of the game in garbage time.

Aug 28, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) goes to throw the ball against the Elon Phoenix during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

If someone wants to hold that final drive against him, that is fine, but his performance in the first half was impeccable.

In the first 30 minutes of the contest - which Duke dominated on both sides of the ball - Mensah completed 16-of-21 pass attempts for 193 yards and one touchdown. The second-year starter did all of this while attempting 9.2 per pass.

Meanwhile, Haynes King - who is ranked fourth on this list - compiled 59 passing yards in the first half. The senior quarterback utilized his mobility to take over in the second half, but his performance from within the pocket leaves much to be desired.

Aug 28, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah (10) throws a touchdown pass against the Elon Phoenix during the second half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | James Guillory-Imagn Images

The eye test was evident. Mensah not only played above average, but he was clearly the best quarterback on the field from a passing perspective.

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