Darian Mensah. Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Report: Duke paying $8 million to its new quarterback

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated Dec 23, 2024 9:39 PM ET

The Duke Blue Devils mean business when it comes to their football team.

Duke has convinced former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah to come play for them in 2025. According to CBS Sports, Mensah is receiving $8 million over the next two years to play for the Blue Devils.

That is a huge figure, especially for a school that has not been known for its football program. But Duke lost quarterback Maalik Murphy to Oregon State and apparently did not want to have a dropoff next season. That likely explains why they are paying up for Mensah.

Former Tulane QB Darian Mensah received a deal from Duke that is believed to pay him $8 million over two years, sources tell CBS Sports' @JTalty and @chris_hummer.

Full story on the former 3-star prospect who is set to be Duke's QB1 in 2025 https://t.co/5lx0de9FxE pic.twitter.com/nPmb0NQ9AM

— CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) December 23, 2024

Mensah led Tulane to a 9-5 record this season. The redshirt freshman completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions.

Duke went 9-3 this season for its third straight winning season. They went 9-4 under Mike Elko two years ago and were 8-5 last season. Elko left for Texas A&M, which led the school to hire Manny Diaz, who has the Blue Devils with their highest winning percentage since 1962.

With the program succeeding, Duke apparently sees value in paying big money to top transfer players in order to give its football team the best chance of winning. The move comes at a cost though to a smaller athletic school like Tulane.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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