Miami Emerges As Favorite For Duke Transfer QB Darian Mensah

Trinton Breeze

Jan 16, 2026 1 min read

Word around college football today is Miami is now the team to beat for former Duke QB Darian Mensah, who recently entered the transfer portal on the last day. This isn’t some long shot, the Hurricanes are getting serious looks and buzz as the favorite to land him according to 247Sports.

He broke out at Tulane in 2024, starting all 13 games and throwing 2,723 yards with 22 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions while completing 65.9% of his throws. He also ran for 132 yards and a score.

He then transferred to Manny Diaz’s Duke squad for the 2025 season, and he took off even more piling up nearly 4,000 yards passing with 34 touchdowns and 6 picks and a completion rate around 67%.

Mensah is back in the portal, and Miami fans are hyped about the possibility of adding a proven Power-5 QB.

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PUNCICANE

Jan 17, 2026

ZeroBeachCane3 said:
Not sure how he won’t be the #1 overall player but whatever lol

View attachment 353272

these fools complicate their lives with all these metrics with which to evaluate talent. Just watch the **** games! Zero chance you come away with thinking any other player in the portal is better than him if you know ball

D
dk72

Jan 17, 2026

MikeyCanez said:
From the reports, we are going WAY beyond what Sorsby and Leavitt got paid. We should. We are flush with new cash and Mensah is better.

But I don't know why some of us are pretending that we aren't throwing desperation bags to get Mensah. We are acting like it is a bad thing but when it is what we need to be doing.

A lot of the "reports" on NIL pay have been ridiculously overblown in the past.

Ispyin

Jan 17, 2026

HicksFix said:
Where are the mopes?

Picking the dingleberries out of Mario’s ***

QuattroCane

Jan 17, 2026

Ryanmilli said:
It’s a fair question. I do have some sympathy for Duke for the circumstances. We took their starting QB who was under contract at the 11th hour when they were counting on him to return. They not only have very limited options to replace him, but also their backup QB just portaled out.

It’s a savage move, but it’s a savage business with ostensibly no guardrails at the moment. I’m sure there are schools trying to do the same thing to UM. And in the end Mario is doing what’s best for the program. He’s doing a **** of a job and it’s better them than us.

It will be interesting to see what ramifications this has down the road, if any. Mario has been solid on talent retention, but presumably the guys we have locked down for next year could leave the same way next week and we’d also be in a difficult position to replace them.

We've been mocked, ridiculed, and the butt of jokes for 20 years, I have zero sympathy for any of them. The ACC higher-ups have always had disdain for us; now we're the bellcow.

I'm old enough to remember Lee Corso saying, essentially, Miami is dead and no one shed a tear.

DusseDez

Jan 17, 2026

Just land the plane…

QuattroCane

Jan 17, 2026

dk72 said:
A lot of the "reports" on NIL pay have been ridiculously overblown in the past.

Where were all these folks when Tua's whole family moved from Hawai'i to Alabama because his dad conveniently got a job...

Ispyin

Jan 17, 2026

AtlAtty said:
Are we bad people for so enjoying the idea of Mensah and what he would mean for Canes football, while completely not caring about the impact this has on other teams and the sport as a whole? Are we the Dodgers of college football?

I mean I certainly hope we are all of what I think we may be, but should we feel bad about it even a little bit?

The Dodgers are number one in payroll and Resources. Miami is a top dog, but we’re not top five ( the top 10 probably) so I don’t know if you can make that same comparison. But Miami spends a little bit smarter itseems than others. Remember Keionte Scott was number 715 in the portal. Blay was criticized. Etc. But when Mario focuses in, we can compete with anyone for a target

Last edited: Jan 17, 2026

J
jackedaround

Jan 17, 2026

rsa coral gables said:
I DO NOT CARE WHAT SUNDAY EVALUATORS THINK OF HIM. I ONLY CARE ABOUT WHAT HE DOES AT DA UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI IN CORAL GABLES. EVERYTHING ELSE IS A ~~BONER~~ BONUS

steve carrell anchorman GIF by FirstAndMonday

PUNCICANE

Jan 17, 2026

the logic that is being used to rank Lagway, Raiola and others above Mensah is the same logic that was used to evaluate guys Anthony RIchardson, Jamarcus Russell. Watch the **** games and use that to evaluate players! Zero chance a person that knows football can watch Leavit play this year, then watch Mensah at the close of the season and justify ranking them this way.

Go Canes!!

Jan 17, 2026

AtlAtty said:
Are we bad people for so enjoying the idea of Mensah and what he would mean for Canes football, while completely not caring about the impact this has on other teams and the sport as a whole? Are we the Dodgers of college football?

I mean I certainly hope we are all of what I think we may be, but should we feel bad about it even a little bit?

I’ll feel bad at the moment these big-time programs feel the same way after dropping bags on the best players from South Florida over the last 40 years

Ispyin

Jan 17, 2026

Ryanmilli said:
It’s a fair question. I do have some sympathy for Duke for the circumstances. We took their starting QB who was under contract at the 11th hour when they were counting on him to return. They not only have very limited options to replace him, but also their backup QB just portaled out.

It’s a savage move, but it’s a savage business with ostensibly no guardrails at the moment. I’m sure there are schools trying to do the same thing to UM. And in the end Mario is doing what’s best for the program. He’s doing a **** of a job and it’s better them than us.

It will be interesting to see what ramifications this has down the road, if any. Mario has been solid on talent retention, but presumably the guys we have locked down for next year could leave the same way next week and we’d also be in a difficult position to replace them.

Except that Duke classes starting on January 7 and he hasn’t been to any of them from what I’ve been told

He was in Tampa yesterday

Alex_Dynamix

Jan 17, 2026

HicksFix said:
Where are the mopes?

S
Silentobserver

Jan 17, 2026

Ryanmilli said:
It’s a fair question. I do have some sympathy for Duke for the circumstances. We took their starting QB who was under contract at the 11th hour when they were counting on him to return. They not only have very limited options to replace him, but also their backup QB just portaled out.

It’s a savage move, but it’s a savage business with ostensibly no guardrails at the moment. I’m sure there are schools trying to do the same thing to UM. And in the end Mario is doing what’s best for the program. He’s doing a **** of a job and it’s better them than us.

It will be interesting to see what ramifications this has down the road, if any. Mario has been solid on talent retention, but presumably the guys we have locked down for next year could leave the same way next week and we’d also be in a difficult position to replace them.

All valid points and beyond rational. But, have you considered this side of the argument....**** Mandy Diaz.

That non-spanish speaking wannabe Cuban can get ****ed and so can Duke.

Again, you bring up some very strong points

Golsen82

Jan 17, 2026

Well when will it officially be announced?!

407cane

Jan 17, 2026

Golsen82 said:
Well when will it officially be announced?!

is there any benefit to them announcing before the game?

I mean everyone knows it's us, but last day of add/drop is Wednesday, might as well reduce the talking point of announcers on Monday about Mensah and have perception that we're 100% focused on the game

I could see Seaton / Mensah whoever being added Tuesday

T
Torocane

Jan 17, 2026

CaneFan79 said:
View attachment 353260
"You rang?" Asks Satan

That's the one person responsible for the raise of the sec

LuCane

Jan 17, 2026

ZeroBeachCane3 said:
Not sure how he won’t be the #1 overall player but whatever lol

PUNCICANE said:
the logic that is being used to rank Lagway, Raiola and others above Mensah is the same logic that was used to evaluate guys Anthony RIchardson, Jamarcus Russell. Watch the **** games and use that to evaluate players! Zero chance a person that knows football can watch Leavit play this year, then watch Mensah at the close of the season and justify ranking them this way.

It’s becoming more and more obvious that people just don’t watch the actual plays nor know how to project/apply those plays to different situations. What’s funny is they do it for a living. Lagway. Dude cannot set his feet or throw a single accurate out pattern. Yet people on these sites highly rate him because of how they think ‘Sunday evaluators’ will perceive the player or how they saw the player perform in shorts. LOL, horrific stuff.

SWFLSWAGG17

Jan 17, 2026

AtlAtty said:
Are we bad people for so enjoying the idea of Mensah and what he would mean for Canes football, while completely not caring about the impact this has on other teams and the sport as a whole? Are we the Dodgers of college football?

I mean I certainly hope we are all of what I think we may be, but should we feel bad about it even a little bit?

I'll refer you to Kellen Winslow jr.

. Go Canes