Well, it's official.
Just hours ago, reports broke that Duke quarterback Darian Mensah was considering leaving the program, despite announcing his return to the Blue Devils just a few weeks earlier.
Now, Mensah has made those reports a reality, officially entering the transfer portal, and consequently fueling the rumors that he was leaving for another program in the ACC.
Of course, rumors immediately started circulating that the Miami Hurricanes and Manny Diaz were targeting Mensah as a possible QB1 out of the portal, especially as the portal reached its close on Friday, Jan. 16.
Source: Duke QB Darian Mensah plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal. He's submitted his request for transfer paperwork. pic.twitter.com/EFN4UUQmkc
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 16, 2026
When he actually entered the portal, just hours after those speculations began, everyone jumped to the conclusion that he was obviously heading to Miami, because where else could he logically land?
Darian Mensah heading to Miami just makes sense
With Carson Beck heading out the door, after the Canes play in the National Championship, Cristobal and his staff are in desperate need of a new QB1, not to mention the fact that almost all other top quarterback candidates have already committed to another team.
Mensah's success with the Blue Devils in 2025 points to him easily being able to find success at a powerhouse program like Miami, and would make him an extremely attractive target for the Hurricanes.
In 2025, Mensah finished with 3,973 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and just six interceptions in 14 games. For comparison, Miami's current quarterback, Carson Beck, has just 3,581 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 15 games.
Mensah led the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship win over the then-No. 17 Virginia Cavaliers, and a win over the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
Jan. 16 was the final day that players could officially enter their names into the portal, so Mensah (quite literally) waited until the last minute to break the hearts of Blue Devils, especially the Duke head coach Manny Diaz, who coached at Miami just a few years ago.