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Tulane football will watch one of their own become one of the most prized talents in the portal. Quarterback Darian Mensah officially jumped into the transfer portal Sunday, per On3.com’s Pete Nakos. Mensah started to separate himself in the QB room after Tulane went with a rare three-QB plan to start the season.
BREAKING: Tulane star QB Darian Mensah plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos_ reports. https://t.co/Dcgk5ESlrJ pic.twitter.com/nWMKCCu7HJ
— On3 (@On3sports) December 8, 2024
The move is a stunning one for the Green Wave considering the impact Mensah delivered in New Orleans. Mensah completed nearly 66% of his throws in emerging as the QB1. The San Luis Obispo, California native racked up 2,723 yards, tossed 22 touchdowns and got picked off just six times. He also added 132 yards rushing and one more touchdown.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder produced three 300-yard outings. One was his 342-yard performance against No. 17 Kansas State on Sept. 7. Keegan Pope of On3.com dropped this strong prediction for Mensah.
“He will immediately become one of the most prized transfers on the market once he enters the portal with three years of eligibility remaining,” Pope wrote.
Mensah wasn’t the most sought-after recruit from St. Joseph High in Santa Maria, California. Tulane and Idaho State were the lone offers — with the Green Wave representing the only Football Bowl Subdivision opportunity. This time will likely be different now that Mensah is in the portal.
Best fits for Tulane QB after entering the portal
A bevy of programs look appealing for the dual-threat. Regardless of Group of Five or Power Four representative.
The latter realm features places in Mensah’s home state that need QB depth. UCLA ranks as one. The Bruins lost their own throwing and running threat Justyn Martin to the portal. UCLA needs new competition behind center with Ethan Garbers a senior. Westwood presents a strong possibility for Mensah.
But USC looks equally attractive. While the Trojans added five-star Husan Longstreet on Wednesday, USC lost former starter Miller Moss to the portal. Plus, head coach Lincoln Riley took in one former G5 QB in Jayden Maiva, who supplanted Moss as the starter. Perhaps Mensah could work the same magic if he heads to Downtown L.A.
Stanford is another to watch. The Cardinal lost both Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson to the portal — losing their starter and rotational QB. While Elijah Brown looks prime for QB1 duties, head coach Troy Taylor uses two QBs. Adding Mensah via the portal shouldn’t be a dilemma for Taylor and Stanford off the academics aspect. Tulane has similar high academic standards.
There’ll be countless of other suitors that are not limited to California. Purdue just hired UNLV head coach Barry Odom, who relied on his own portal QBs this past season. Odom could take a liking to Mensah’s ’24 production to fuel his first Boilermakers offense.
Miami is the final potentially ideal suitor for Mensah. The Hurricanes will soon lose Cam Ward to the NFL Draft, who was his own portal transfer. Mensah brings similar play extension and flair for dynamics like Ward.
More must-reads:
- What to know about the 10 hottest college football QB battles
- Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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NFL legend Tom Brady unleashes on current climate in college sports
NFL legend Tom Brady isn't happy with the current climate in college sports. Fueled by money — specifically, revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness deals — along with the transfer portal's explosion and ongoing conference realignment, Brady says a reality check is needed in collegiate athletics. "But because we’re just talking about money, money, money, money … that’s the only value in college? Is that what we’re saying? To me, the priorities are a bit messed up," Brady said in a conversation with Fox Sports' Joel Klatt on the "Big Noon Conversations" podcast. College sports, in particular football and basketball, are a big business, and Brady recognizes that. At the same time, given NIL and other factors, there isn't a ton of loyalty in the college game, as players switch schools all the time. Plus, as Brady notes, these players are missing out on the college experience that he had while playing quarterback for Big Ten Conference powerhouse Michigan from 1995-1999, because they're competing for two or three schools. "I didn’t go to three different colleges," Brady, who won seven Super Bowls in the NFL, continued. "I didn’t leave college when it seemed like I wasn’t gonna play. I wasn’t at college to do anything other than have a great college experience, to go to school, to have camaraderie with my teammates and to compete at a high level. That’s really where the focus was. And at a young age, that’s where I think the focus needs to be." Brady doesn't blame the players. They're teenagers or in their early 20s when suiting up for college teams. He says that players' parents have to protect them. It's even more complicated these days (and tempting) because of the money being offered to top-ranked prospects, and some of these young men also have agents now. "It’s very intriguing to get that quick dollar," Brady said. "Look, we had a $400 scholarship check, and it seemed like I was rich. It really did. I’m sure most kids felt like that. We got pizza cards to go to dinner, and we had a training table, and it was an amazing experience. We didn’t think about the money." Brady says his time at Michigan prepared him for the pro ranks. He was in college for four years but didn't become the Wolverines' starter until his junior season. While Brady was a good college quarterback, he wasn't elite. He was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft and used that as motivation to prove that he belonged in the pros. What then transpired was Brady evolving into the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. He says young players today are too quick to move to a different school if they're not getting enough playing time. "The lessons I learned in college — and certainly about competition — those traits transformed my life as a professional. I was ready to compete against anybody, because the competition in college toughened me up so much that I had a self-belief and self-confidence that whatever I was faced with, I could overcome that," Brady said. Brady isn't saying that money isn't important. But he is saying what many others are thinking. The emphasis on money in college sports is concerning and problematic. "We’re valuing the wrong things," said Brady.
Commanders make a surprise cut, releasing one of their own draft picks
The Washington Commanders shook things up in a big way on Monday, making a series of roster changes that brought in three new faces, sent three players packing, and placed two more on injured reserve. The Commanders are clearly in evaluation mode, trying to find the right combination of experience, depth, and upside before the regular season kicks off. Washington knows that preseason is the time to experiment, but these moves also show they’re not afraid to make tough calls when things aren’t working. Tough Day for Three Departing Players The most notable departure is Dominique Hampton, one of general manager Adam Peters’ 2024 NFL Draft picks. Selected in the fifth round, Hampton came in as a safety but was quickly asked to shift into a linebacker-hybrid role — similar to how Washington used Jeremy Chinn before he left for Las Vegas in free agency. While the plan sounded promising on paper, it never clicked on the field. Hampton only appeared in one game as a rookie, logging six special teams snaps and never seeing time on defense. In last Friday’s preseason opener against the New England Patriots, Hampton played 42 defensive snaps and 15 on special teams, recording five tackles but also committing a costly face mask penalty on an 18-yard run. That penalty moved the ball deep into Commanders territory and set up a Patriots touchdown. Joining Hampton on the release list are defensive end Viliami Fehoko Jr. and cornerback Allan George. Neither had played in a regular-season game for Washington, but both saw action in the preseason loss to New England. Fehoko’s night was short-lived after just 14 snaps due to injury, while George played 38 snaps, making one tackle and breaking up a pass. Veterans Step In to Bolster Depth To fill the openings, the Commanders signed cornerbacks Essang Bassey and Antonio Hamilton Sr., along with linebacker Duke Riley. Hamilton Sr. brings plenty of experience, having played for five NFL teams since entering the league in 2016. Most recently, he suited up for the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, giving Washington a seasoned veteran who can step in immediately. Bassey, who spent time with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers from 2020 to 2023, didn’t see the field last season but has shown flashes of potential in previous years. Riley is a familiar face for head coach Dan Quinn, who drafted him in the third round back in 2017 when he was coaching the Falcons. Riley spent two seasons in Atlanta, a short stint with the Eagles, and then the past four seasons with the Miami Dolphins. His versatility and special teams ability make him an intriguing addition to the linebacker room. Roster Spots Open on IR On top of the signings and releases, Washington placed offensive tackle Lucas Niang and cornerback Kevon Seymour on the reserve/injured list. Niang was expected to provide depth on the offensive line, while Seymour was competing for a spot in the secondary. Losing both players means the Commanders may need to continue looking at free-agent options or rely on internal development to cover those spots. If there’s one thing this round of moves shows, it’s that the Commanders are serious about fielding the best possible roster. Preseason is short, and every snap counts when evaluating talent.
Dolphins humiliated by Lions at joint practice
Joint practices have revealed some problems for the Miami Dolphins with a few weeks to go before the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa started against the Chicago Bears in Sunday's preseason game, wanting to show improvement after having a bad showing during the Dolphins' joint practice in Chicago on Friday. Tagovailoa did play better, going 5-of-6 passing for 27 yards and led the Dolphins to the Chicago 1-yard line before the offense was stopped on downs. A few days later, Tagovailoa and the offense had another poor performance at their joint practice with the Detroit Lions. Per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic, Miami couldn't score in the red zone against a motivated Lions defense during Wednesday's practice. "Dolphins offense just ran 16 or so plays in the red zone vs. the Lions and didn’t score until the final play (between the second units)," Pouncy posted on X. "Miami’s first-team offense didn’t score in the 7-8 plays vs. Detroit’s first-team defense. It was ugly. Lions’ D is having a day." Pouncy's observation of the Lions manhandling the Dolphins was universal among beat reporters covering the Lions and Dolphins, with The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner calling it the most "lopsided" practice he'd witnessed covering the NFL. Last week, Omar Kelly of the Miami Sun Sentinel said Miami folded when the Bears defense began to whip on the offense. The accusations of the Dolphins being a soft team are going to continue until they decide to fight back in joint practices or against opponents in the regular season. When healthy, the Lions have a fierce defense. So Detroit having the edge isn't a surprise, though not being able to score during 16 plays in the red zone is a concern. Miami doesn't appear to have found an identity, and that could spell doom for the season if it doesn't get it figured out before Week 1.
Bears make big preseason decision amid reports of Caleb Williams' training-camp struggles
Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.
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