Darian Mensah left Durham high and dry after making a “commitment” video last month that he would stay back. But he bolted for the transfer portal just hours before it was about to close, leaving Manny Diaz in a huge pickle, staring at a massive hole at quarterback. But the Blue Devils have a plan to pivot, and all the focus has shifted to one top-five remaining unsigned QB.

“Sources tell me and @chris_hummer that one of the quarterbacks now of interest to Duke as a potential replacement for Darian Mensah is former Florida star QB DJ Lagway, who has been on the verge of heading to Baylor but hasn’t signed yet,” reported national reporter Matt Zenitz on Friday.

Now, just last Thursday, DJ Lagway committed to Baylor. But given that the final paperworks aren’t done, Duke still has an opening to play at and they should, because the former five-star out of Willis High has all the workings needed to be their next QB. He earned a five-star rating from 247Sports as the No. 7 overall prospect and the No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 class.

He had signed with Florida in the 2024 class and played early. As a freshman, he racked up 1,915 yards and 12 TDs, with nine interceptions. In 2025, he opened the season as the starter and never left the lineup, starting all 12 games.

Surely, the production was there with 2,264 yards and 16 scores, but so were the growing pains, including 14 interceptions. That production came with several surrounding factors. That’s likely why, despite earlier struggles, programs like Ole Miss continued to show interest before his commitment.

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Still, the sudden loss of their starting QB, even after being offered a $4 million per-season deal, must hurt the Blue Devils.

This is because Darian Mensah delivered and in a big way. He led the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship Game victory. And the numbers backed that up. Nearly 4,000 passing yards. ACC leader in both yards and TDs. To cap it off, just one interception against a conference opponent all season.

While the transfer portal is thin at QB, Mensah instantly jumps to the top of the board. With that, Ole Miss, Miami, and Tennessee have already become potential destinations. However, it’s not like there are all positives. There is a concern about Mensah and his stability in a team, because this would be his third school in three seasons.

Nevertheless, given his production, it won’t be a surprise for programs to take him on.

But what pushed Darian Mensah to make such a tough decision?

Darian Mensah wasn’t ready for change, at least not a month back. The Duke quarterback made a headline-grabbing, LeBron-style announcement, confirming his return to Durham afterall.

The timing was perfect, as it came between Duke’s overtime win over Virginia in the ACC title game and the Blue Devils’ Sun Bowl victory over Arizona State. And the numbers tell a story.

The Tulane transfer finished the season with 3,937 passing yards, the second-most in the FBS. To cap it off, he also tied for second nationally with 34 TD passes against just six interceptions.

While that makes his latest move more stunning, Darian Mensah admitted the decision wasn’t easy.

“I’m forever grateful for Duke and the coaching staff. Thank you Duke family for everything,” wrote Mensah on X. “This wasn’t an easy decision, but after talking with my family, I believe it’s in my best interest to enter the transfer portal.”

A fresh start in the NIL transfer portal era may tempt this quarterback to make the move, giving him bigger stages to showcase his potential. And the offers on the table are already tempting. The Hurricanes are apparently willing to eat the remainder of Mensah’s $7.5 million NIL deal with Duke while also putting $10 million on the table to complete the transfer. This would be complete with luxury housing, an Adidas campaign, and even a scholarship and NIL deal for his sister, Grace.