$10 million QB addresses final decision after controversial transfer portal entry

Darian Mensah enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign, starting every game for Duke and completing 334-of-500 (66.8%) passes for 3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while posting a 153.6 passer rating and finishing among the ACC leaders in both yards and touchdown passes.

He earned second-team All-ACC honors and was the lead catalyst for Duke’s run to the ACC Championship Game, where the Blue Devils defeated No. 17 Virginia 27–20.

After the 2025 season, Mensah publicly announced he would remain at Duke rather than enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Details emerged that he had signed a multiyear NIL arrangement, reported as a two-year, roughly $8 million deal, that played a significant role in his decision to return.

That NIL agreement later became central to a dispute between Mensah and the program.

On Jan. 16, 2026, Mensah sought to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Duke responded by filing for an injunction, arguing that Mensah remained contractually bound by the NIL deal and attempting to block him from enrolling elsewhere.

A Durham-area court allowed Mensah to enter the portal but temporarily barred him from enrolling at another school pending resolution. Mensah subsequently requested an expedited hearing due to impending enrollment and spring practice deadlines.

The parties ultimately reached a settlement that cleared the path for Mensah to leave Duke, and within hours, he committed to the University of Miami, with reports emerging of a potential $10 million NIL agreement.

However, in a recent On3 interview with reporter Pete Nakos, Mensah made it clear his decision was driven less by NIL dollars and more by NFL aspirations: “I want to make the NFL. I want to be a first-round draft pick. And all signs point towards Miami.”

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck. — Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck (11) drops back to pass against the Indiana Hoosiers | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Miami needed an immediate, proven quarterback to sustain the momentum from its 2025 run and protect a short window of contention.

With starter Carson Beck, who guided the Hurricanes to a 13–3 season and a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance, moving on from the program, Miami prioritized finding a quarterback who could step in right away and keep the team in national title conversations.

Before Mensah’s commitment, several potential Beck replacements were rumored, including DJ Lagway, Byrum Brown, Dylan Raiola, Sam Leavitt, and Drew Mestemaker, but Mensah ultimately emerged as the program’s top target.

While Mensah drew interest from multiple programs, Miami offered a national-title-level platform with heavy media exposure, an offense designed to showcase quarterback production, year-round NFL evaluation access, and a clear path to start immediately at a Power-5 program that finished the season ranked No. 2.

That combination boosts draft visibility and helps explain Mensah’s comment that “all signs point towards Miami.”

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