Just hours after the Blue Devils announced that they had reached a settlement with former quarterback Darian Mensah, allowing him to sign with and play for another program, he had already arrived in Miami, joined by one of his Duke teammates.
Cooper Barkate, who was Mensah's go-to target in 2025, also landed in Miami on Tuesday afternoon, seemingly confirming the rumors that he was following his quarterback to play for the Hurricanes.
After all of the legal drama between Mensah and Duke, it shouldn't come as a massive surprise that he high-tailed it out of Durham and pulled up to Coral Gables as quickly as possible.
Yet, the speed at which the departure and subsequent arrival took place rubbed a little salt in the Blue Devils' fresh wounds.
Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate already join Hurricanes
When pictures of the former Duke stars were shared on social media, neither Mensah nor Barkate had officially signed with the Canes yet, but all expert predictions had pointed to them landing with Miami for at least a few days.
NEW: Duke transfer QB Darian Mensah has arrived at Miami on a visit, via @CaneSport🙌https://t.co/4BoCRneNOA https://t.co/sA9pE4U4dZ pic.twitter.com/6Gjl9JBOe4
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 27, 2026
Of course, when Mensah first entered the portal, he was immediately tied to the Canes. Then, the lawsuit against him, courtesy of the Blue Devils, slowed down his transfer process.
Former Duke standout WR Cooper Barkate has arrived at Miami for his visit with the Hurricanes on Tuesday afternoon.https://t.co/rqXmUNYqmV pic.twitter.com/OYHlht3BX4
— Gaby Urrutia (@GabyUrrutia247) January 27, 2026
During the legal battle, Barkate officially announced he had entered the portal as well and was quickly linked to Mensah and Miami. Now, it seems imminent that the two will sign with the Hurricanes without wasting anymore time.
In 2025, Mensah connected with Barkate for a resounding 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns. The redshirt-senior wide receiver also earned a successful two-point conversion for the Blue Devils.
The duo was a large part of Duke's offensive success last season, but not all hope is lost for the Blue Devils, as star running back Nate Sheppard has refused to even look in the direction of another program.
While Duke head coach Manny Diaz and his staff look for their next QB1, Sheppard will undoubtedly remain as a leader in the locker room.