Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Jul 15, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Miami quarterback Darian Mensah speaks to the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown.
While the Miami Hurricanes reached the finals of the College Football Playoff last season, they did not win the ACC Championship.
That honor went to the Duke Blue Devils, led by star quarterback Darian Mensah. However, following the season, Mensah left the Blue Devils high and dry, opting to join the ‘Canes via the transfer portal.
It marked the second time in two years that Mensah left his team in the transfer portal after joining Duke from Tulane the year prior. It also marked the second time in two years that Mensah became the highest-paid quarterback in college football.
But now both he and his mother, Naomi, are pushing back on the narrative that Mensah was just chasing the bag.
Darian Mesnah Says Decision To Leave Duke For Miami Wasn’t About Miami
The Hurricanes have had a ton of success with big-money transfer quarterbacks the last two seasons. Cam Ward won the 2024 Heisman Trophy and became the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after joining from Washington State.
Then Carson Beck led Miami to the national championship games after coming over from Georgia.
“That was a huge factor, deciding to transfer, seeing what those guys did,” Mensah said Wednesday at ACC Media Days in Charlotte “My OC, Coach Dawson will form the offense around the quarterback, around the stuff he likes to do. That also made it something I wanted to be a part of. It was one of the two most important factors as far as transferring goes; just seeing what Dawson’s done with those two quarterbacks, it’s special.”
Still, it’s hard to ignore the rumored $6.5 million elephant in the room.
“People were dragging Darian for thinking it was all about money. It wasn’t. There was money either way,” Mensah’s mother, Naomi, told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. “We looked at the big picture of where Darian wants to go. That ultimately was the choice. What was going to get him to his end goal? He could go and win the ACC again (at Duke), but could he get to a natty and win the Heisman?”
Coincidentally, Mensah’s sister Grace also transferred to Miami from Oregon, where she played on the Ducks’ women’s soccer team for three seasons. Rumors also suggest Mensah was given a large home on a golf course for the duration of his stay in Miami.
Whatever the reason for his transfer, Mensah keeps the QB factory rolling for the Hurricanes and puts them right back in the national title hunt in 2026.