Darian Mensah downplays facing former team in Duke-Miami: 'Like every other game' - USA Today
Darian Mensah faced Tulane, his former team, at Duke last season. He'll do the same again against Duke on Saturday, Nov. 14 as Miami's quarterback.
Mensah's high-profile transfer from Duke to Miami was well-documented last offseason, with the Hurricanes essentially poaching the second-team All-ACC quarterback and ACC championship winner. There will be some bad blood for Duke when it travels to face Miami on the road in Week 11.
The move has paid off for Miami, as its offense has taken another step forward this season even after reaching the national championship game a year ago. Mensah, who's competing for the Heisman Trophy, has 2,694 passing yards with 30 total touchdowns to only two interceptions this season, while completing a ridiculous 76.8% of his passes.
Mensah also leads the nation with an 191.2 Passer Rating, which is over six points more than Julian Sayin, who has the second-best measure (184.9).
Duke likely won't be an easy opponent for Mensah and Miami. The Blue Devils are 7-2 this season, boast one of the best running backs in college football in Nate Sheppard and is coming off 47-2 and 41-3 wins over Boston College and North Carolina State, respectively.
Mensah said he's excited for the opportunity, but ultimately downplayed the idea of playing his former team, former head coach Manny Diaz and many of his old teammates โ not among them Cooper Barkate, who followed Mensah to Miami from Duke after leading the Blue Devils in receiving last season.
"I try to just approach it like every other game," Mensah said. "Obviously it's going to be a little bit weird playing my old team, but yeah, it's the Miami Hurricanes versus the Duke Blue Devils. They've got a great squad over there, so yeah, I'm excited for the matchup."
Mensah is aiming to silence the emotions in Week 11 when facing his former team, especially coming after a 31-24 loss to Notre Dame.
Mensah's decision to transfer from Duke to Miami is best described as a transfer saga. The quarterback needed multiple steps to leave the Blue Devils, stemming from a massive two-year contract worth a reported $8 million he signed after leaving Tulane after the 2024 season.
Mensah originally announced his return to Duke on Dec. 19, 2025, a few weeks after leading the Blue Devils to an ACC title.
"This year was everything to me," he said in the since-deleted announcement video. "This team, this locker room, this family welcomed me with open arms ... When the odds were against us, we kept fighting. I wouldn't trade any of it for the world."
Almost a month later, though, Mensah ultimately told Duke and coach Manny Diaz of his decision to enter the transfer portal on Jan. 16, the final day of the window. The Blue Devils didn't go down without a fight, suing Mensah on Jan. 20 for breach of contract, with the university stating his contract included exclusive rights of his name, image and likeness.
Duke then received a temporary restraining order against Mensah, which barred the quarterback from enrolling at another school but allowed him to still enter the transfer portal. That was, until Duke and Mensah reached a settlement agreement that paid Duke and allowed Mensah to transfer to another school. The settlement was reached two days before Mensah's preliminary hearing on Jan. 29.
"We are pleased to announce that Darian Mensah, supported by our team of legal counsel and Young Money APAA Sports, has reached a settlement with Duke University," his agency wrote on social media on Jan. 27. He announced his commitment to Miami later that night.
