Transfer QB Darian Mensah Reportedly Receives Record NIL Deal From Duke
By Colin Lyle
Last Updated on December 31, 2024
Former Tulane standout quarterback Darian Mensah has reportedly received a name, image, and likeness deal from Duke University that would unofficially make him the highest-paid player in college football, John Talty and Chris Hummer of CBS Sports reported.
Mensah, the No. 5 ranked signal-caller in On3’s transfer portal rankings, has reportedly signed a deal worth $8 million over two seasons to play for the Blue Devils. He just completed his redshirt freshman season at Tulane and has three years of eligibility remaining.
Duke and its NIL collective, Durham Devils Club, facilitated the deal with Young Money APAA Sports and legal counsel Darren Heitner to secure the athlete’s signature. Heitner, a lawyer who has been involved in many NIL negotiations, described Mensah’s deal as “groundbreaking.”
The former 3-star recruit had been highly sought after in the transfer portal after amassing 2,723 passing yards and 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions. Mensah led the Green Wave to a 9-4 record and an appearance in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.
The Blue Devils just had one of its best seasons in program history under first-year head coach Manny Diaz, amassing a 9-3 record and earning an upcoming matchup in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against No. 14 ranked Ole Miss. Former Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy threw a program record 26 passing touchdowns this season but left for Oregon State in the transfer portal on Dec 24, opening up the starting quarterback spot.
The New Era of College Sports
The record deal would catapult Mensah to the top spot among all NIL earners in college sports, surpassing stars like Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders ($6.5 million), Texas’ Arch Manning ($5.5 million), LSU’s Livvy Dunne ($4.2 million), and Duke’s Cooper Flagg ($3.3 million), according to On3’s NIL valuations. The reported deal would match his coach Manny Diaz’s estimated annual salary of $4 million.
While Mensah’s brand power may not yet be as strong as the others previously mentioned, his promising season and the evolving NIL landscape allowed him to capitalize on his potential. As long as the price is right, more and more college athletes are willing to change programs as they are not currently penalized for transferring.
With the proposed revenue sharing from the House v NCAA settlement likely being implemented on July 1, 2025, this type of spending may be more common. Schools will have to allocate at least $20.5 million in revenue for their college athletes.
After an impressive freshman season, Mensah will have big shoes to fill and even bigger expectations. His record deal may be broken in the near future, but a known basketball powerhouse like Duke offering a record amount for a football player shows how NIL has drastically altered the playing field in college sports.
