The Duke Blue Devils have landed one of the biggest prizes in the transfer portal in Tulane QB Darian Mensah. But it wasn't cheap to do so.
It is being reported that Mensah will be paid $8 million to play his next two seasons of college football at Duke. The annual average of $4 million is believed to be the highest ever for a college football player.
According to 247Sports.com, Mensah is the No. 7 overall QB in the portal this cycle. However, the folks at ESPN.com have him listed as the No. 1 transfer QB available.
It is easy to see why he is so highly valued. As a redshirt freshman, he still has the majority of his career in front of him and that has to be appealing to the Blue Devils. What's more, this season, he threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions. Along the way, he helped the Green Wave to a 9-5 overall mark and a 7-1 record in conference play.
Former Tulane QB Darian Mensah received a deal from Duke that is believed to pay him $8 million over two years, sources tell CBS Sports' @JTalty and @chris_hummer.
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 23, 2024
Full story on the former 3-star prospect who is set to be Duke's QB1 in 2025 🔗 https://t.co/5lx0de9FxE pic.twitter.com/nPmb0NQ9AM
Of course, Duke needed to make a splash at the game's most important position. That's because 2024 starter Maalik Murphy transferred to Oregon State after just one season with the Blue Devils.
Murphy, who transferred to Duke from Texas last offseason, was excellent for the Blue Devils this fall. Passing for 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns, he helped Duke to a 9-3 record in the regular season.
However, this is the era of player movement in college football and everyone is looking to capitalize on their earning potential. Thus, Murphy found a new opportunity in Corvallis, Oregon leaving Duke scrambling to find a replacement.
Now, the Duke program has stepped up in a big way to bring in one of the top QB options in the nation. This financial investment should excite Duke football fans because it shows that the program and those who fund it are determined to make the Blue Devils a force in the ACC.
Of course, turnover at the QB position has become the norm in Durham. 2025 will mark the third year in a row that Duke has gone to battle with a new starting QB after Riley Leonard transferred to Notre Dame last offseason and Murphy jumped ship this year.
Head coach Manny Diaz and his staff are proving, though, that they can adapt on the fly and they've done so in a big way with Mensah. Now, Duke fans hope that this massive financial investment will yield huge dividends next fall.