Luke Altmyer vs. Darian Mensah: Which QB Has the Edge in Illinois vs. Duke?

The Illini have a veteran presence at quarterback in Altmyer, while the Blue Devils have the supremely talented Mensah

Nov 4, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The most important position on the football field is, without a doubt, the man under center. Quarterbacks are, almost without exception, the most influential player in any game. And there is no bigger draw than a pair of highly respected quarterbacks meeting for a duel. There is some beauty in the fact that, although the opponents will never even share the playing field at the same time, there is no higher stakes battle in sports than QB vs. QB.

On Saturday, college football fans will be in for a treat, with Illinois’ Luke Altmyer facing off against Duke’s Darian Mensah. Experience vs. talent. Who has the advantage – and who will come away victorious? Let’s take a look.

Darian Mensah’s background

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

As a redshirt freshman at Tulane last year, Mensah was outstanding, passing for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns (against just six interceptions) and leading the American (AAC) in completion percentage (65.9 percent). Mensah ultimately went into the transfer portal and was tabbed the No. 7 quarterback available before Duke wound up landing him. Immediately proving himself worthy of his preseason praise, Mensah went for 389 yards and three scores in the opener against Elon.

Luke Altmyer’s background

Aug 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) runs the ball against the Western Illinois Leathernecks during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

A fifth-year senior, Altmyer began his career at Ole Miss, spending two years in a backup role before moving north to Illinois, where he was thrust into the starting role from Day 1. After a mediocre redshirt sophomore campaign (1,883 passing yards, 13 TDs and 10 interceptions), he took a massive step forward last year, going for 2,717 yards and 22 touchdowns, with just six picks. Also impressive in his 2025 debut, Altmyer passed for 217 yards and three touchdowns while throwing just four incompletions (and no interceptions).

Player comparison

Now, we could go on and on about the fundamental differences between Altmyer and Mensah, but the granular details aren't terribly important in this case, so we’ll offer a CliffsNotes version:

Mensah is unbelievably talented, with top-notch arm strength, sniper-like accuracy and exceptional mobility, along with a strong pocket presence.

Altmyer, meanwhile, is a top-quality Big Ten quarterback. None of his attributes are exactly cause for a second take, but he’s really good at everything – and arguably no one in college football can match his poise.

Where Mensah has the advantage

Simply put, Mensah is more talented than Altmyer. There’s no way around it: Mensah is truly the full package at quarterback and has a sky-high ceiling, along with true NFL aspirations.

He can fit throws into tight windows, make plays rolling out to either side, demonstrates laser-like accuracy and can make all the throws.

Darian Mensah's Duke debut:

😈 27/34
😈 389 YDS
😈 3 TD @DukeFootball pic.twitter.com/sXX54r54f3

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) August 29, 2025

In most categories by which quarterbacks are judged, Mensah has at least a slight advantage over Altmyer. The redshirt sophomore, strictly based on physical abilities, would seem to stand head and shoulders over his Illinois counterpart – but Altmyer does have him beat elsewhere.

Where Altmyer has the advantage

Mensah has struggled against tougher competition. In two outings against ranked teams to end the 2024 campaign, he threw a pick in both. In a pair of games against Power 4 opponents at the start of the year, he tossed an interception in each. In his defense, Mensah has relatively little experience facing top programs.

That's a big point in Altmyer's favor. He has competed in the Big Ten for two seasons now, consistently proving himself against the toughest opponents college football has to offer. He may not impress with the same highlight-reel dimes thrown by Mensah, but Altymer’s as steady as a metronome, and has an extremely high floor.

Here’s our @NBCSports feature on Illinois QB Luke Altmyer: pic.twitter.com/xhovHE2WT5

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) August 29, 2025

Which offense is in better hands?

In all of his college football experience – which is essentially one season plus one game – Mensah hasn’t seen a defense that can compare to that of Illinois. He hasn’t faced the sort of pressure that outside linebacker Gabe Jacas and his mates will create, nor has Mensah been tasked with dicing up a secondary as deep as the Illini’s. Mensah undoubtedly has the ability, but he simply lacks the experience.

As for Altmyer, this Duke matchup is another day at the office. The Blue Devils have been stellar on defense against their competition (especially in the passing game), but they are light years behind the Penn State or Oregon defenses Altmyer took on last year.

In college football, specifically at the quarterback position, experience trumps talent – especially when the difference in experience dramatically outweighs the talent deficit.