UM poised to sign one of nation’s top QBs, Duke’s Mensah

For the third consecutive portal cycle, the Miami Hurricanes are poised to land one of the nation’s top quarterbacks.

Darian Mensah, who led the Atlantic Coast Conference in passing yardage and touchdowns for Duke this season, is expected to transfer to Miami, a source said Friday.

Mensah informed Duke that he was entering the transfer portal on Friday, the final day that he was eligible to do so. He immediately then turned his attention to striking a deal with UM.

The Canes were determined to add a high-end quarterback after acquiring Cam Ward and Carson Beck in college football’s version of free agency the past two years.

Miami was unable to snag its top three available targets -- Brendan Sorsby (joined his girlfriend at Texas Tech), Sam Leavitt (LSU) and Ty Simpson (opted to leave Alabama to turn pro). Miami offered $6 milllion for Sorsby and $6.5 million for Simpson, according to sources.

But quarterbacks who weren’t in the portal learned indirectly of Miami’s interest, and Mensah then hopped in the portal on Friday after he grew tantalized with the idea of playing for the Hurricanes. Mensah, who will have two seasons of eligibility remaining, has exceptional accuracy and touch on the deep ball.

UM has been juggling its search for a 2026 quarterback with preparations for Monday’s national championship game against Indiana at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

Miami’s budget to land a quarterback in this cycle of free agency exceeds $6 million, per a source.

Thirteen months ago, Duke lured Mensah away from Tulane with a reported $4 million offer.

He went on to throw 34 touchdowns and just six interceptions while leading the Blue Devils to an ACC championship game win against Virginia and a Sun Bowl victory against Arizona State.

Mensah finished the season with 3978 passing yards on 66.8 percent accuracy (334 of 500). His 34 TD passes were second nationally behind only Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who threw 41.

His 3978 passing yards were second in the nation. One negative: he had nine fumbles after losing the ball seven times at Tulane. He’s tall (6-3) but not big (205) and he isn’t a big-time runner; he has 100 yards on 119 rushing attempts (which includes sacks) in two seasons of college football.

Mensah’s expected addition will keep UM from entering 2026 without a proven starter at the position. The four quarterbacks with remaining eligibility that are currently on UM’s roster are Emory Williams, Luke Nickel, Judd Anderson and incoming freshman Dereon Coleman.

Players on Miami and Indiana can enter the transfer portal as late as Jan. 24, but all other college players must enter the portal by 11:59 p.m. Friday to be eligible to play elsewhere next season. That rule also applies to grad transfers.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. rated Mensah the fifth-best draft-eligible quarterback before he announced he would not be turning pro. He likely would have been a second- or third-round pick if he had entered the NFL draft.

The 6-3 Mensah was born in Santa Maria, Cal., went to high school there and then committed to Tulane, where he redshirted in 2023 before throwing 22 touchdowns and six interceptions in his one year as the Green Wave’s starter. He transferred to Duke in December 2024.

Among his many outstanding games last season: a 313-yard, three-TD game against his former school, Tulane; a 361-yard, four-touchdown game in a 46-45 win against Clemson; a two-TD, 19 for 25 day against Virginia in the ACC title game; and a 327-yard, four-TD performance in the Sun Bowl.

Before that bowl game, he agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with Duke, but Mensah determined (with legal counsel) that the contract would not preclude him from entering the portal and joining another school.

But Duke believes its deal prohibits another university from using Mensah’s NIL deal. As SI.com reported, if a buyout is paid by Mensah’s new school (terms of the buyout are unknown but could be equal to his $4 million salary at Duke), that money will be reduced from the revenue-share pool of his new school, according to House Settlement rules.

Mensah grew up in extreme poverty, living with his mother Naomi and three siblings in low-income housing and relying on food stamps and church food banks. His family’s lack of financial wherewithal to pay for football camps was considered one reason why he wasn’t more heavily recruited.

Mensah used some of the funds from his $4 million deal with Duke to support his family and buy his mother a truck. His contract with UM is expected to well exceed that.

News note

Per multiple recruiting websites, coveted Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton, a former five-star offensive tackle and the No. 4 player currently in the portal (per 247 Sports), is visiting Miami this weekend after touring Mississippi State on Friday.

Here’s my Friday story with Canes greats (Steve Walsh, Dennis Erickson, Mel Bratton and others) telling me the unique ways they’re experiencing this playoff run.

Here’s my Friday Q&A with ESPN’s Chris Fowler, with lots of good UM-centric insight.

This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 5:15 PM.

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