Duke’s Darian Mensah Joins Elite Company with $4M Deal for 2025 Season

The college football quarterback market has officially reached new heights. Duke’s Darian Mensah is set to make $4 million this season, according to Pete Nakos, making him one of the highest-paid signal-callers in the country.

Mensah’s two-year, $8 million contract with the Blue Devils could climb as high as $10 million with incentives, reflecting the rapid escalation of NIL and transfer-era compensation for elite quarterbacks.

The Rise of the Quarterback Market

Mensah, a Tulane transfer, quickly became Duke’s top target after entering the portal last December. His deal highlights the lengths programs are willing to go to secure proven talent in a competitive market.

But Mensah isn’t alone at the top. Penn State’s Drew Allar, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, and Miami’s Carson Beck all join Mensah in the $3 million-and-up tier for 2025.

Allar, returning to Penn State after leading the Nittany Lions to a College Football Playoff semifinal, is guaranteed at least $3 million this season. Mateer, the transfer quarterback heading to Oklahoma under Brent Venables, will earn between $2.5 million and $3 million.

Underwood, Michigan’s No. 1 recruit from the 2025 class, and Beck, Miami’s Georgia transfer, are both set to make around $3 million, with Beck’s deal potentially maxing out at $6 million with incentives.