Darian Mensah and Duke have reached an agreement that will allow the quarterback to move on to a new school without being sued. That new school will almost certainly be a Notre Dame opponent next fall.
When Mensah announced his intention to enter the portal with just a day to go until it closed, the overwhelming opinion was that he was headed to Miami to take over for an out-of-eligibility Carson Beck. Now that he's been freed up to go wherever he wants, the former Blue Devils QB1 will likely be on the Hurricanes by the end of the week.
Only moments after the settlement was reached, On3's Pete Nakos officially put in predictions for Mensah and his top wide receiver, Cooper Barkate, to transfer to the 'Canes.
NEWS: Darian Mensah and Duke have reached a settlement. https://t.co/KMppwI9zA7
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 27, 2026
Notre Dame vs Miami 2026: what Darian Mensah’s transfer means after Duke settlement
Should that come to pass, it would mean that Notre Dame will have to face off against a Miami team this November that might be better offensively than they were this season.
Mensah threw for 3,646 yards, 30 touchdowns, with a 68% completion rate in 2025, leading the Blue Devils to an ACC championship. His total passing yards ranked No. 3 in FBS in 2025, leading the ACC. He was fifth in FBS in passing touchdowns, too.
Meanwhile, Barkate caught 72 passes for 1,106 yards for 7 touchdowns. All of those numbers are especially impressive considering that both Mensah and Barkate played together for the first time this past fall. Mensah transferred to Duke from Tulane, and Barkate came from Harvard.
Should Nakos be correct and the pair is going to Miami, they'll be a potent combo.
Notre Dame already knew that Miami (who just finished as the runner-up in the National Championship game) would be a tough out again in 2026. In a matter of days, they'll have a much better idea of how tough it is.