$2.2 million quarterback now top available player in transfer portal

The only thing consistent about the transfer portal is that it churns on. With the decision of former Ole Miss EDGE Princewill Unanmielen to sign with LSU, there's a new top available player in the portal. While QBs Brendan Sorsby and Sam Leavitt have been top-ranked prospects at other points during the current portal period, it's a new face on top of the group per the current On3sports rankings.

247sports places this prospect as the No. 3 available player, but the late portal entry has certainly created quite a storm since making the decision to enter the portal on the last day before it closed. He was a top portal prospect a year ago, earning a reported $4 million payday then, but is back on the market now-- at least pending a court potentially ruling otherwise.

The new portal No. 1

Former Duke QB Darian Mensah is now the top prospect in the transfer portal, following his controversial decision to enter the portal just ahead of the entry deadline. Mensah is evaluated by On3sports with an NIL value of $2.2 million, but that valuation is clearly just scratching the surface.

Mensah transferred from Tulane to Duke a year ago, reportedly inking an $8 million, two year deal. Duke has not taken Mensah's decision to leave lightly, having recently filed suit to keep the talented passer in Durham, or at least out of other spots.

Potential paths for Mensah

Since the word of Mensah's portal interest first surfaced, he has been closely tied with Miami, where Carson Beck finished his college eligibility by leading the Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff title game. Ole Miss has also been linked to Mensah. The Rebels have their own litigation scorecard to follow, with QB Trinidad Chambliss seeking another year of eligibility (although in a thinning 2026 NFL Draft QB class, Chambliss might end up pursuing that path).

Mensah was lightly recruited out of high school but after a redshirt season, played well at Tulane as a freshman in 2024, throwing for 2,723 yards and 22 scores. After inking his big contract with Duke, Mensah threw for 3,973 yards and 34 scores in 2025 for the Blue Devils.

He has two years of remaining eligibility, but Mensah is (due to his redshirt year) also eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft. Like Chambliss, if the collegiate path becomes too entangled in litigation, he might well choose to take his talents to the next level.

Then again, with Mensah turning down a $4 million deal with Duke, he's clearly on line for a payday that only a top NFL Draft pick could command. Even at $4 million, Mensah would have to be picked at 15th or higher in the Draft for his NFL rookie scale slot to exceed that amount. At $5 million or $6 million, he would have to slide near or into the top ten.