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Duke football quarterback Darian Mensah on why he transferred from Tulane
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- Duke football quarterback Darian Mensah on why he transferred from Tulane
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It did not take Tulane transfer quarterback Darian Mensah long to feel the love from Durham.
On his official visit to Duke football on Dec. 10 – two days after entering the transfer portal – Mensah was greeted to by none other than the Cameron Crazies while in attendance for Duke basketball's game against Incarnate Ward. By the next day, and after a Duke basketball blowout win, Mensah had officially committed to coach Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils.
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"As soon as I got there, it was on my official (visit), Duke had the Cameron Crazies call me out," Mensah said on Thursday at the ACC Football Kickoff. "It was awesome, just feeling that love there. Durham in general just reminds me of home ... the community, the support, my teammates have all been great in helping my transition."
Mensah, a 6-foot-3 redshirt sophomore, was tabbed as the No. 3 transfer decision in the 2025 cycle per ESPN and is a former three-star prospect out of St. Joseph High School in San Luis Obispo, California. He is set to replace former Blue Devil signal caller Maalik Murphy, who threw for for nearly 3,000 yards, 26 TDs and 12 interceptions in 2024 before transferring to Oregon State.
Mensah started all 13 games for the Green Wave in 2024, going 189-of-287 (65.9%) for 2,723 yards with 22 touchdowns while carrying the ball 60 times for an additional 132 yards and touchdown. He will have three years of eligibility remaining at Duke.
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Offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer's fast-paced and pass-heavy offensive scheme drew Mensah to Duke compared to that of Tulane's more run-heavy offense, along with fulfilling Mensah's childhood dream of playing Power Four football.
"I think just the opportunity to compete at an elite conference like the ACC, an elite head coach with Manny, and an offense where you spread people out and throw the ball vertically," Mensah said. "I think those were some of the key factors that, including a defense where we've got Chandler (Rivers) and Wesley (Williams), V.J. (Anthony), we've got an elite defense, too. That's the pieces that went into my decision.
While Mensah has yet to officially suit up for the Blue Devils, he shined for the Blue Devils in their spring game, completing 12-of-14 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
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Duke begins the 2025 season at home vs. Elon on Thursday, Aug. 28. Mensah will suit up against his former team in Week 3 when the Blue Devils travel to New Orleans.
"Those are my guys over there, I'm excited for that, just being with the guys," Mensah said. "... I'm excited for that matchup with Tulane. They've got a talented squad."
Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Darian Mensah on why he transferred from Tulane to Duke football
