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By Matthew Schmidt
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Duke Blue Devils shocked the college football world by winning the ACC Championship Game this season, and it was thanks much in part to the tremendous efforts of quarterback Darian Mensah.
Mensah led the conference in passing yards (3,646) and passing touchdowns (30) while completing 67.9 percent of his passes and tossing just five interceptions, guiding Duke to an 8-5 record and a berth in the Sun Bowl.
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But could 2025 represent Mensah's lone year in Durham?
The 20-year-old transferred over to Duke after spending his first two years at Tulane, and there has been some speculation that he could consider transferring again.
In fact, Mensah has drawn interest from other teams, but John Talty of CBS Sports has revealed that the 6-foot-3 signal-caller will either return to the Blue Devils or enter the NFL Draft.
Mensah is evidently receiving very positive NFL feedback, which is somewhat surprising considering most had him pegged as a mid-to-late round pick if he decided to declare.
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At the same time, though, it's easy to see what NFL people love about Mensah.
He boasts very impressive arm talent, good size and a strong pocket presence. He isn't the most athletic quarterback in the world, which will almost certainly harm his draft stock, but it's also not like he is completely immobile.
The general consensus all along has been that Mensah will return to school for another year, but in a rather thin 2026 quarterback draft class, it may make sense for the redshirt sophomore to make the jump now.
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The good news for Duke is that if Mensah does decide to forego the draft, he apparently won't be entertaining any other schools in a potential transfer portal move.
The Blue Devils are suddenly developing into a legitimate football program, and it will certainly be interesting to see how far they can go next season if Mensah is back under center.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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