$1.9 million star QB reportedly returning to school, will forgo NFL Draft

One of the more productive quarterbacks in college football is turning down the NFL Draft and will return to school for the 2026 season, according to a new report.

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One of the more productive quarterback talents in college football has decided against entering his name into the 2026 NFL Draft and will reportedly return to school instead.

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah has elected to play for the school for another season and has informed them of his final decision, according to ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel.

Mensah had entertained the idea of entering the NFL Draft and turning professional, but decided against the move for the time being and will suit up for the Blue Devils in what will be his redshirt junior season.

Star QB considered the NFL Draft

News of the Duke quarterback considering the NFL Draft first emerged earlier this week.

CBS Sports reported that Mensah had been receiving some very positive feedback from NFL scouts and that he was being considered as an early round draft selection.

That same report revealed that Mensah was getting offers from other college football programs as a potential transfer, but that he was only considering staying at Duke or entering the NFL Draft.

Mensah was considered the No. 5 overall quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft class, according to the latest positional rankings revealed by draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr.

The signal caller is considered to have impressive arm talent, decent pro-caliber size, and a good pocket presence, but some analysts are concerned about his mobility in and out of the pocket.

Mensah has helped Duke's offense

The quarterback transferred into the Duke program from Tulane prior to the 2025 college football season and emerged as one of the most accomplished transfers.

Mensah finished the year with 3,646 passing yards, a number that ranked first overall among ACC quarterbacks and placed him fourth-best in the country in passing output.

His 30 passing touchdowns rank fifth-most in FBS, engineering a run for Duke that resulted in an ACC championship.

One of the more valuable QBs

Mensah has also rated as one of the more valuable players in college football, boasting a reported NIL valuation of $1.9 million, according to the most recent figures published by On3 Sports.

There was a general consensus that Mensah would almost certainly return to Duke for the 2026 football season, even if he was considering a run for the NFL Draft.

His presence in the offense has helped make Duke a more relevant football power this past season, and his return should bode even better for the program heading into next fall.