Duke football is riding a high wave of momentum heading into its bye week, recently picking up its third straight victory at California, 45-21. Now 4-2 overall and 3-0 in ACC play, the Blue Devils are one of two ACC teams to have started conference play at 3-0, and Duke has now established itself as a true contender. Blue Devil QB Darian Mensah has only gotten better as the season has gone on, as the redshirt sophomore has quietly turned into one of the best signal callers the nation has to offer. Now, Mensah is finally starting to get some recognition, as he's been named a top-25 finalist for this coveted national award.
Darian Mensah named to 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 25
Darian Mensah has been listed in the final 25 candidates for the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. The field was cut from an initial list of 58 players.
Five quarterbacks out of the ACC made the list in addition to Mensah: Miami's Carson Beck, Georgia Tech's Haynes King, Virginia's Chandler Morris, Florida State's Tommy Castellanos, and Louisville's Miller Moss.
"This prestigious honor is presented annually to the nation’s top senior or upperclassman quarterback who is on track to graduate with their class, embodying not only outstanding on-field performance but also character, citizenship, and leadership," the award states.
After struggling with turnovers to begin the 2025 campaign with the Blue Devils, Mensah has been fantastic over Duke's three-game win streak. Over his last three outings, the former Tulane Green Wave has thrown for 802 yards and seven touchdowns to no turnovers.
On the season, Mensah has completed 69.8% of his passes for 1,838 yards in the air to go along with 15 touchdowns to two interceptions. He ranks second in the nation in passing yards, while leading the ACC in passing touchdowns and passing yards per game (306.3).
Mensah has yet to get recognized in any sort of Heisman Trophy conversations, but he's becoming one of the best all-around QBs in the country. After signing a monster two-year, $7.5 million deal with Duke, he's certainly making that investment look worthwhile for the program.