Just a few weeks ago, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah confirmed that he was returning for another season with the Blue Devils.
Now, Duke isn't as certain about its starting quarterback as rumors and speculation have started focusing on the possibility of Mensah leaving the Blue Devils after all.
In a report from CBS Sports' Chris Hummer, Duke is reportedly concerned that Mensah will opt to enter the transfer portal, and there is one national title-contending team in desperate need of an experienced quarterback: the Miami Hurricanes.
Duke has concerns that star quarterback Darian Mensah could enter the transfer portal, multiple sources tell @mzenitz and I for @CBSSports.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 16, 2026
Mensah finished 2nd in the FBS this season with 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns. https://t.co/mkxQThnHvv pic.twitter.com/56lNEQkt7S
With quarterback after quarterback getting crossed off of Miami's QB list, reports came out that head coach Mario Cristobal would turn to quarterbacks who had yet to enter the portal.
Darian Mensah could break Manny Diaz's heart by transferring to Miami
Well, now it seems as though he has turned his attention to none other than the Blue Devils' QB1. Of course, Duke head coach Manny Diaz is a Miami native and spent his college playing days with the Florida State Seminoles, and was the Canes' head coach from 2019 until 2021.
So, this kind of has revenge written all over it for the Hurricanes, and Mensah could truly rip out the soul of the Duke football program by leaving for Coral Gables.
Of course, Miami is (quite literally) running out of options to replace current quarterback Carson Beck, who will almost certainly head to the NFL Draft after the National Championship game.
Sam Leavitt, Dylan Raiola, Ty Simpson, Husan Longstreet, and dozens of other quarterbacks have already committed to other teams, leaving the Hurricanes hanging and making them desperate. Desperation leads to actions like poaching a top quarterback from a team in your conference.
In other words, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Canes are potentially targeting Mensah, who just led the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship win and a victory in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
Mensah finished the season with 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns on 334 completions, while throwing just six interceptions in Duke's 14 games. For comparison, Beck has just 3,581 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions through 15 games.