$2.2 million QB named No. 3 quarterback in college football transfer portal

Duke’s 2025 season was nothing short of historic. The Blue Devils finished 9–5, won the ACC Championship, and capped the year with a dramatic 42–39 Sun Bowl victory over Arizona State on Dec. 31, 2025.

It marked Duke’s first ACC title in more than six decades and firmly established the program as one of the conference’s rising powers.

At the center of it all was sophomore quarterback Darian Mensah. After transferring in from Tulane, he immediately elevated Duke’s offense into one of the most efficient units in the ACC, transforming the Blue Devils into a legitimate championship team.

In 2025, Mensah put together a monster season, throwing for 3,973 yards (ACC leader), 34 touchdowns, just six interceptions, and completing 66.8% of his passes. He was named Sun Bowl MVP and earned second-team All-ACC honors along the way.

Coming out of high school in California, Mensah was a lightly recruited three-star prospect with limited FBS attention. He signed with Tulane in February 2023, where he patiently developed before earning the starting job in 2024. That season, he threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns, with a 166.7 passer rating (led the conference), flashing the upside that eventually drew Duke’s attention.

However, after just one season leading the Blue Devils, Mensah entered the transfer portal on Jan. 16, 2026, immediately placing one of the sport’s most productive pocket passers on the open market.

He’s also one of the most marketable quarterbacks in the country. Mensah carries a reported NIL valuation of $2.2 million, a figure that ranks inside the top 20 among all NCAA athletes.

All of that context helps explain why, when ESPN’s Max Olson released his latest transfer portal rankings this week, Mensah stood out. Olson ranked him as the No. 3 quarterback in the portal and the No. 5 overall player, trailing only Brendan Sorsby and Sam Leavitt.

Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah. — Duke quarterback Darian Mensah (10) celebrates after the Blue Devils score a touchdown in the ACC Championship | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Sorsby, the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the portal, has already committed to Texas Tech, while Leavitt, ranked No. 2, is expected to land at LSU. With those dominoes fallen, Mensah stands as the last proven, high-end quarterback available for programs still searching for an answer under center.

Several schools, including Miami, have been linked to Mensah as teams in need of an experienced, plug-and-play starter. He’s battle-tested, he’s won a conference title, and he’s already shown he can elevate a roster quickly, making the appeal for multiple Power Five programs obvious.

What complicates everything is the ongoing legal dispute between Duke and Mensah over the terms of his NIL agreement. While Mensah has officially entered the portal, a court ruling currently prevents him from enrolling or playing elsewhere until a February 2 hearing determines whether Duke’s contractual restrictions hold up.

Still, with Sorsby and Leavitt already off the board, the quarterback market now revolves entirely around Mensah. Once his legal situation is resolved, his decision is expected to be the final quarterback domino of this transfer cycle.

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