Why Ty Simpson’s Draft Declaration Potentially Destroyed Duke

Miami quickly emerged as the early favorite to swipe Mensah from Duke, and based on the lucrative deal the Hurricanes were rumored to be offering, fans can't really blame the star QB for taking it. Obviously, the emotions will run rampant with the timing of Mensah's portal entry and how it was ultimately done, but the star QB didn't do anything wrong.

The Hurricanes pulled Mensah from Duke at the very last second, and the plethora of money and luxury that the program threw at him almost seemed like a last-ditch effort to secure a top QB for the 2026 season. Miami had previously gone after Alabama QB Ty Simpson, and his decision to enter the 2026 NFL Draft unintentionally plagued Duke.

Ty Simpson Remaining in NFL Draft Could Have Caused Miami To Steal Mensah

Miami had swung and missed in its portal hunt for a QB several times, with guys like Brendan Sorsby and Sam Leavitt. However, the team made a hefty offer to Simpson last week.

"Simpson said the offers were pouring into his agent. Miami and Tennessee both said they would pay him $4 million," Chris Low reported on what Simpson told On3 in a recent interview. "Ole Miss also jumped in around the $4 million mark, and Tennessee said it could possibly go as high as $5 million. Eventually, Miami ran the tab up to $6.5 million."

Despite a monster $6.5 million offer from the Canes, Simpson ultimately elected to remain in the draft. After the Canes missed on a few heavy-hitters in the QB portal market, they shifted to Mensah, and hit a home run.

College Football Has Completely Shifted

Allegiance to a program has now gone out the window almost entirely, but one can't blame quarterbacks like Mensah for making a business decision.

For years, it was understood when head coaches left a program they'd been at for an extensive period of time for a bigger market and a higher salary. That opportunity has now shifted to players in the NIL era.

The realm of college football is cutthroat, and no program can feel a sense of safety when a player commits. Mensah is just the latest example of the current state of the sport.

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