Darian Mensah Admitted Desire To Leave Duke Early While Training With Cam Ward

Near the end of that workout, Mensah is heard admitting his desire to leave the Blue Devils after his first season on campus. A transfer to another school, however, was not in the initial cards.

The quarterback’s dramatic portal saga ended on Tuesday with a settlement decision between him and his former school. Duke sued Mensah over a broken contract signed last offseason.

The passer, who’d started his college career at Tulane, bolted for Durham after the ’24 campaign. He reportedly agreed to a two-year deal worth an estimated $8 million.

The first season of that partnership went swimmingly. While the Blue Devils did not make the College Football Playoff, they did win the ACC for the first time since sharing the crown with Virginia in 1989.

It was the program’s first outright conference title since 1962.

Duke hoped the success would continue in 2026. Mensah posted a return video on December 19th, mirroring the LeBron James “Decision,” signaling his removal from the NFL Draft class.

Darian Mensah just deleted his Duke Football return decision video from his Instagram pic.twitter.com/3bcMvYj3Ki

— Colin (@Colin_B_Kelly) January 16, 2026

Less than a month later, things changed.

Darian Mensah entered the transfer portal.

He made that decision in the January portal window. Miami was tabbed as the probable landing spot.

The Blue Devils did what they could to fight the transfer, citing that previously signed NIL agreement. They succeeded in postponing the move while pursuing compensation for the potential loss.

A judge ruled that while Mensah was allowed to enter the transfer portal, he would not be able to enroll at another school or license NIL deals elsewhere.

It effectively paused his Miami pursuit as spring semester deadlines neared.

On Tuesday, he received a positive update. A settlement was reached, allowing him to commit to the Hurricanes. He’s since done so.

The QB always intended to leave early.

That was made clear in a clip posted to YouTube last July, a month before Duke’s season opener. The video happened to include a workout with former Miami signal caller Cam Ward.

Ward took a similar college path to Darian Mensah. He started his career at lower-level Incarnate Word. After a two-year move to Washington State, he left to accept a deal with the Hurricanes in his final season.

In doing so, he became a Heisman trophy finalist and No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick. Mensah hopes the same lies ahead in his future.

Of course, he’d hoped his professional pursuits had formulated more quickly. Near the end of the featured clip, he can be heard speaking with pro wide receiver Calvin Ridley about entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

DM: “How many years did you play college football?”
CR: “Three and gone.”
DM: “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Last year was the quarterback’s third in the NCAA. He redshirted as a freshman before becoming a two-year starter.

Mensah also touched on the difficulties of being a student-athlete with Elic Ayomanor, who attended Stanford. The NFL wideout could relate to the academic workload that comes with being a Duke student.

Mensah still has two more seasons of eligibility remaining. He never intended to exhaust that eligibility in Durham. That likely played a part in the Blue Devils offering a two-year deal running though 2026 as opposed to a three-year option.

In fact, the quarterback had hoped to leave before completing his contract. He fully intended to go pro after his redshirt sophomore year.

When it didn’t happen, Duke anticipated his return to Durham. Cam Ward’s former team made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

All of this goes to say that Mensah always viewed the NFL as the ultimate goal. Duke was never a long-term destination. He broke contract with his former school to join a team that might get him there more quickly.

Agree or disagree with the decision, the goal hasn’t changed.