The college football season doesn’t quite hit the mark if the underdogs don’t shake things up. This season, quite a few programs have acquired that status because of some notable roster or staff changes. Manny Diaz’s second stint at Duke seems like one team ready to kick up a storm, especially in the ACC. That’s all because of their star QB, Darian Smith, who will make his debut as a Blue Devil for quite the hefty price. The head coach is coming off a safe 9-4 finish from last season. But with Mensah in the mix, can Duke go the extra mile?
Duke already had a primed quarterback in Maalik Murphy. He had 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns in the bag and had two years of eligibility. He came over from Texas because of the impending rise of Arch Manning. But Diaz added a twist to his career by getting Mensah in the transfer portal. Murphy left camp, widening the room for Mensah to settle and get comfortable. At Tulane, Mensah was recruited as a three-star out of high school. From there, he became the No. 4 QB in the transfer portal, according to On3. That rise to stardom has experts predicting that Duke is going to upset some teams along the course of the schedule.
In a June 20 episode, Cover 3 Podcast’s Bud Elliot thought this season’s Duke Blue Devils have the potential to go big. “I think Manny Diaz is a hell of a coach, and [Jonathan] Brewer is a really nice coach. And obviously, that defense probably still going to be a pain in the a– to play. Now, they won a lot of close games last year. So they could be a better team than last year and still have a worse record. I think that’s actually probably pretty likely. But there is a scenario here in which they go seven and one in the league. Like if Mensah is really that guy,” he said. Mensah chose Duke despite having offers from the more starry SEC programs. But Diaz and his reportedly $4 million offer made Duke a great prospect.
With his 2,723 yards, 22 TDs, and a completion percentage of 65.9%, the QB is expected to start right where Murphy left off. He had a brilliant season at Tulane and missed the playoffs because of the two losses that came at the end of the season. Also, Darian Mensah led the program to the AAC championship. With all of these benchmarks in consideration, Mensah might end up leading the Blue Devils to the ACC title as well.
He told On3 that Jonathan Brewer’s style is something he is fitting right into. “[New] style of offense this year, but all the stuff that I like to do.” Also, Sports Illustrated ranks Mensah as the 7th QB in their ACC quarterback rankings. The way Duke performs this season continues to be an enigma, but Manny Diaz has things looking really good for him. Mensah has two lofty goals marked for this year.
Darian Mensah aiming for the prize with Duke debut
A playoff spot and a Heisman trophy: those are the priorities for Mensah in this new chapter of his collegiate career. And he’s all fired up to make that possible. “We’re going to wake some people up. They’ve made it pretty easy for me. I just have to go out and put up points. We’re going to do that. The playoffs are definitely a feat I think we can accomplish. I’m trying to be one of the best in the country next year,” he told On3. And according to FanDuel odds, Mensah has a pretty good shot at ending up as a top contender.
His odds currently stand at +10000. Because Duke is one of the lesser-appreciated programs, it’s understandable why Mensah hasn’t popped up as much in the chatter for the trophy. But Diaz got him over from Tulane with quite the hefty paycheck, which was an important factor for Mensah. The Blue Devils, along with their new QB, are going to make a mark this season. With Mensah’s addition, BetMGM has -160 odds for Duke having at least 7 wins. This would see Diaz getting a 61.5% chance of going 50-50 in the season.
The addition of new QBs in programs has changed their odds by a lot. Like Nico Iamaleava’s arrival at UCLA is changing things for Westwood, Mensah is also predicted to take Duke to newer heights. The Blue Devils have some notable opponents this season, including defending ACC champions Clemson. But Darian Mensah is of a caliber capable of giving them a good fight. And who knows, maybe he stamps his name into college football more boldly this season.
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