Darian Mensah is trying to make his exit from the Duke football team a bit smoother than it unfolded on Friday afternoon but the Blue Devil fans aren’t having any of it.
After it was reported that Mensah will enter the transfer portal despite signing a two-year contract with the program, worth nearly $8 million, last offseason and announcing his intentions to return a month ago, he took to social media to say his farewell.
“I'm forever grateful for Duke and the coaching staff,” he said in a post on X. “Thank you Duke family for everything. This wasn’t an easy decision, but after talking with my family, I believe it's in my best interest to enter the transfer portal.
Mensah is leaving the Blue Devils in the cold after his decision to transfer came hours before the portal closes for the offseason and the team had no other plans to add a major impact quarterback.
He threw for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns for Duke this season and improbably won the ACC Championship Game. It had been reported that Mensah was thinking about entering the 2026 NFL Draft prior to the Blue Devils bowl game this year and then announced his intentions to return to the program.
Now, he is presumably headed to Miami, who will play the Blue Devils in South Florida next season, where he will replace Carson Beck following the National Championship Game on Monday night against Indiana.
Reports indicated that the Hurricanes were so desperate for a quarterback, the team tried to lure Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson into the portal after he announced his intentions to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s offer allegedly got as high as $6.5 million.
It is thought that Miami will be paying Darian Mensah anywhere between $7 and $10 million next season.
As exciting as his entrance to Duke was, his exit is as frustrating and disappointing as it gets and his social media statement only makes it worse for the Blue Devil faithful.