Get To Know New Miami Hurricanes Quarterback Darian Mensah

Former Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah has had some issues trying to leave the university through the transfer portal.

Mensah has plans to leave Duke for the Miami Hurricanes this spring. However, he reportedly signed a two-year contract worth $8 million with Duke last offseason. Duke then filed a lawsuit against Mensah and his agency for violating the terms of that contract by trying to leave to Miami. The lawsuit didn't stop Mensah.

The two sides came to an agreement Tuesday morning and Mensah will be on his way to Coral Gables in the coming months. The Duke Blue Devils football program finished the 2025 season with a win-loss record of 9-5 and managed to win the ACC Championship with Mensah at the offensive helm. Duke beat Virginia in a 27 to 20 thriller and then beat Arizona State in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl 42 to 39 to end their season.

Who is Darian Mensah?

Darian Mensah turned 21-years-old January 25 and is a sophomore quarterback out of Santa Maria, California. Mensah spent his freshman year at Tulane before entering the transfer portal December 2024. Mensah played in 13 games his freshman year and led the Green Wave to a 9-4 record. He threw for 2,723 yards and just six interceptions.

Mensah is currently listed at a height of 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. The young quarterback's ability to avoid turnovers is something Hurricanes fans will appreciate, especially after Carson Beck's turnover collapses against Louisville, SMU, and Indiana. Mensah threw just six interceptions again with Duke last season but threw 12 more touchdowns and 287 more total passes. He threw for 34 passing touchdowns and threw exactly 500 passes last season. Beck threw 12 interceptions last season and has thrown 32 interceptions in his five-year college career.

Among FBS quarterbacks last season, Mensah was second in passing yards, tied for second in passing touchdowns, and was 19th in total QBR. Mensah is not a game manager, but a playmaker.

What kind of quarterback is Mensah?

Miami usually relies on brute force at the line of scrimmage and smart, but limited decision-making from their quarterback as a formula for success. The Hurricanes prefer to have a strong offensive line and a committee of dynamic running backs to shoulder the offensive workload. Mensah might change that philosophy for Miami Hurricanes Offensive Coordinator Shannon Dawson.

Mensah completed 66.8% of his passes last season while throwing for 7.9 yards per pass attempt. Mensah is a gun-slinger and won't be afraid to take open shots down the field for big gains. The former Blue Devil keeps his eyes downfield and actively searches for explosive plays rather than settling for checkdowns.

While Mensah wasn't an explosive threat on the ground after rushing for -32 rushing yards last season, he's proven to be a mobile and dynamic quarterback. Mensah is not afraid to leave the pocket in order to extend a play's potential and he's very comfortable throwing on the run after improvisation. This is different from the playstyle Hurricanes fans have been used to this season with Beck. His ability to extend plays while still remaining comfortable in the pocket is more similar to former Hurricanes and current Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward.

In the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl against Arizona State December 31, Mensah threw 51 passes and completed 29 of them. He threw for 327 yards, four passing touchdowns, and just one interception on the way to a close victory.

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