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.

Click to expand...

Facebook X Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp Email Link

Comments (4481)

Status: Not open for further replies.

View article View as thread

IndayArtHauz

Jan 22, 2026

LuCane said:
This dude is a specific zone killer. I’ve watched a ton of Mensah and he carved up other teams’ zones from a lot of different spots on the field.

In a bunch set with Jacobs, Toney, and this dude, and Vaughn on the other side holding a safety, there aren’t really coverages to account for the spaces those players will find.

Heck, put him in the championship against Indiana, and he likely helps us win the game bc of their zone gaps.

Reminds me of Keenan Mccardell iin many ways. I wouldn’t call him ‘elite’ in terms of traits and whatnot, but I’d call him a huge value. Am I allowed to compare him to a non-white player, btw?

TriStarCane

Jan 22, 2026

LuCane said:
This dude is a specific zone killer. I’ve watched a ton of Mensah and Barkate carved up other teams’ zones from a lot of different spots on the field.

In a bunch set with Jacobs, Toney, and this dude, and Vaughn on the other side holding a safety, there aren’t really coverages to account for the spaces those players will find.

Heck, put him in the championship against Indiana, and he likely helps us win the game bc of their zone gaps.

Reminds me of Keenan Mccardell iin many ways. I wouldn’t call him ‘elite’ in terms of traits and whatnot, but I’d call him a huge value. Am I allowed to compare him to a non-white player, btw?

Dagger concept with that personnel group

Alex_Dynamix

Jan 22, 2026

flips said:
Yeah it looks like WR getting the corner last year treatment in the portal. You love to see it

Was just about to type this. The thing I love about Mario is he sees the deficiencies in the roster and tries his best to correct it . Hopefully he views TE the same way. I like the Mueller kid to be a big freshman contributor

BALLHAWKU

Jan 22, 2026

ZeroBeachCane3 said:
About to take a peek at their board real quick lol

Haven’t seen much it’s all vip

Manfred_Cane

Jan 22, 2026

LuCane said:
This dude is a specific zone killer. I’ve watched a ton of Mensah and Barkate carved up other teams’ zones from a lot of different spots on the field.

In a bunch set with Jacobs, Toney, and this dude, and Vaughn on the other side holding a safety, there aren’t really coverages to account for the spaces those players will find.

Heck, put him in the championship against Indiana, and he likely helps us win the game bc of their zone gaps.

Reminds me of Keenan Mccardell iin many ways. I wouldn’t call him ‘elite’ in terms of traits and whatnot, but I’d call him a huge value. Am I allowed to compare him to a non-white player, btw?

htownkidd

Jan 22, 2026

LuCane said:
This dude is a specific zone killer. I’ve watched a ton of Mensah and Barkate carved up other teams’ zones from a lot of different spots on the field.

In a bunch set with Jacobs, Toney, and this dude, and Vaughn on the other side holding a safety, there aren’t really coverages to account for the spaces those players will find.

Heck, put him in the championship against Indiana, and he likely helps us win the game bc of their zone gaps.

Reminds me of Keenan Mccardell iin many ways. I wouldn’t call him ‘elite’ in terms of traits and whatnot, but I’d call him a huge value. Am I allowed to compare him to a non-white player, btw?

No.

MumbleRap

Jan 22, 2026

FAFO, Mario really ******* hated watching that Nole ruin his program

BALLHAWKU

Jan 22, 2026

TexasCane90 said:
This kid getting sued too?

Jokes aside kids a good player and obviously has chemistry with mensah who he wants to play with definitely helps elevate the WR room

Who leaves is the question

Jan 22, 2026

LuCane said:
This dude is a specific zone killer. I’ve watched a ton of Mensah and he carved up other teams’ zones from a lot of different spots on the field.

In a bunch set with Jacobs, Toney, and this dude, and Vaughn on the other side holding a safety, there aren’t really coverages to account for the spaces those players will find.

Heck, put him in the championship against Indiana, and he likely helps us win the game bc of their zone gaps.

Reminds me of Keenan Mccardell iin many ways. I wouldn’t call him ‘elite’ in terms of traits and whatnot, but I’d call him a huge value. Am I allowed to compare him to a non-white player, btw?

It’s a sign of respect. MLK jr would approve

"I think we were just trying to take what the defense was giving us, and they were playing a pretty soft zone the whole day," Barkate said. "When [Mensah] is scrambling, I try to mirror what he does. So, if he is sprinting out, I have to sprint out and find a zone, but if he's just rolling around with his eyes up trying to throw a pass, I'll just try to sit down in a zone and make it easy for him."

S
Steve44

Jan 22, 2026

ZeroBeachCane3 said:
View attachment 354445 View attachment 354446 View attachment 354447

Someone tell buddy the lawsuit is not with Miami. its with the QB they glorified for a year, who wanted to break up with them.

MumbleRap

Jan 22, 2026

I know Rio threw a remote at the TV watching FIU beat the canes saying some **** like “Like MFer doesn’t even speak Spanish”

ZeroBeachCane3

Jan 22, 2026

htownkidd said:
No.

Santana Sosa

Jan 22, 2026

canesfan54 said:
TE room is pretty weak so why not

We use TEs for mostly blocking. Another team sees we got a TE on the field, they would be safe assuming it's a run. We need to look into strengthening the position IMO.

C
Cane1914

Jan 22, 2026

Manfred_Cane said:
So is he more like Charlie Becker or more like Julian Edelman?

Puka

L A M P

Jan 22, 2026

Duke is so petty. Spoiled rich entitled twats being told they aren’t special & rules apply to them too.

Manfred_Cane

Jan 22, 2026

MumbleRap said:
FAFO, Mario really ******* hated watching that Nole ruin his program

He said it in an interview leading up to the Natty lol

canesfan54

Jan 22, 2026

Santana Sosa said:
We use TEs for mostly blocking. Another team sees we got a TE on the field, they would be safe assuming it's a run. We need to look into strengthening the position IMO.

Absolutely but if the WRs is gonna be our strength than let’s maximize it until we are in situations where we need to get TEs and extra OL involved. Dawson might finally get a HC job with this offense