Duke's Darian Mensah Reportedly to Enter Transfer Portal, Latest Rumors on Top CFB Landing Spots

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah plans to enter the transfer portal after one season with the Blue Devils, On3's Pete Nakos reported Friday.

The transfer portal closes Friday at midnight.

Both Nakos and ESPN's Pete Thamel named Miami as a top option for Mensah following the expiration of Carson Beck's eligibility.

Thamel also named Tennessee and Ole Miss as "prominent schools with quarterback potential need," but added the Volunteers are not recruiting Mensah.

Mensah led the ACC with 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns while committing just six interceptions and leading Duke to a 9-5 record and ACC Championship win last season.

Mensah originally joined Duke last offseason as a transfer from Tulane. CBS Sports' John Talty and Chris Hummer reported last December he had signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Blue Devils.

The quarterback said in a Dec. 19 post on his Instagram that he would be returning for a second season with Duke.

Hummer and Matt Zenitz then reported earlier Friday for CBS Sports that Duke had "concerns" that Mensah was considering entering the transfer portal.

According to Hummer and Zenitz, Mensah's name began to gain traction as a potential option "in recent days" after the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal became unavailable.

Hummer and Zenitz added that "industry sources also consider Mensah's contract language with Duke to be more stringent than those of other contracts across college football, which will make it more difficult for Mensah to get out of his deal."

ESPN's Thamel previously reported that Duke believes the contract "calls for them to have his exclusive NIL rights and only Duke has the ability to cancel that."

"The only way he can access revenue share money is through Duke, unless they terminate the contract... The ability for any school to pay him outside of revenue share would be scrutinized," Thamel wrote.

Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee reportedly made offers to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson before he declared for the 2026 NFL draft, per Colin Gay of the Tuscaloosa News.

Miami led the bidding war for Simpson with a $6.5 million offer, per Gay. Since then, CBS Sports' Cody Nagel reported the Hurricanes have been "exploring every option, including quarterbacks not yet in the portal."

The Blue Devils will be left with limited options if Mensah leaves just before the closing of the portal.

Duke brought in North Alabama transfer Ari Patu last week. The program also has Dan Mahan, who most recently redshirted his true freshman season in 2025.