After Maalik Murphy entered the transfer portal, Duke football was wondering who their next quarterback would be. Luckily, they found their answer. ESPN's Pete Thamel said, “Transfer quarterback Darian Mensah, the top-rated player in ESPN’s transfer portal rankings, has committed to Duke, he told ESPN on Wednesday. Mensah is a redshirt freshman who will have three years remaining.”

Mensah played for Tulane football this previous season and had a quality season. He threw for 2,723, 22 touchdowns, with only six interceptions. He also had 132 rushing yards and a touchdown. Not to mention, Mensah had the 20th-best quarterback rating (QBR) in the country (76.5). Although they landed Mensah, it doesn't help their situation in the Gator Bowl against Ole Miss football.

Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin blasted the transfer portal system after Murphy entered. It's unlikely that Mensah will play for Duke football in this game. However, the Blue Devils can be glad with the player they got to replace Murphy. Mensah helped the Green Wave to a 9-3 record and an AAC Championship game appearance against Army football. While they lost that game, it was another successful season for the Green Wave. They were in the AP top 25 for three consecutive weeks.

How can Darian Mensah lead Duke football after Maalik Murphy's exit?

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Murphy had a quality season for the Blue Devils after transferring in from Texas. He threw for 2,933 yards, 26 touchdowns, but an ACC conference-high 12 interceptions. Regardless, his dynamic play elevated a mediocre Duke football offense into a quality one. As a result, they garnered a 9-3 record in a relatively competitive conference. They had a close loss to SMU football, which is in the College Football Playoff.

Luckily for Mensah and Duke football, they can see that history can positively repeat itself. Miami (FL) football had Washington State transfer Cam Ward join their team this past season. Due to his presence, the Hurricanes had the highest-scoring offense in the country. Although they didn't make the CFP, they were extremely close.

Although it's unrealistic to expect Mensah to elevate Duke football to the highest-scoring offense in college football, it could be a possibility. After all, the Blue Devils have nine wins on the season. An established quarterback like Mensah could have them winning games that weren't winnable this past season. Still, the Duke faithful will have to wait until next season for the Mensah experiment to commence. However, there's plenty to be hopeful for in the 2025 season with the new signal-caller.