Duke rumors: Blue Devils ‘interested’ in DJ Lagway after Darian Mensah exit

The Duke Blue Devils suddenly find themselves in a scramble at quarterback after starting signal-caller Darian Mensah entered the NCAA transfer portal on Friday night. Mensah, who transferred to Duke from Tulane last season, made the move official with a post on X, expressing gratitude to the program while explaining it was a family-driven decision. His exit leaves the Blue Devils without their projected starter, pushing the coaching staff to move quickly in finding a replacement.

Mensah’s departure has reportedly caught the attention of the Miami Hurricanes, who are pursuing him to replace Carson Beck, whose eligibility has expired. However, legal and financial hurdles could complicate the transfer. Mensah’s two-year, $4 million NIL deal with Duke includes clauses preventing other schools from utilizing his NIL, meaning any new program would likely need to negotiate a buyout, potentially equivalent to the contract’s value.

With Mensah no longer part of the program, the Blue Devils are now in desperate need of a quarterback. The Blue Devils’ backup from last season, Henry Belin IV, has already transferred to Missouri State, leaving the roster thin. Duke has added Ari Patu, a former Stanford and North Alabama quarterback, earlier this month, but the staff appears to be targeting a higher-profile option to lead the offense.

The Blue Devils are now reportedly considering DJ Lagway, the former Florida starter and five-star recruit, as a potential successor, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer.

“Sources tell me and @chris_hummer that one of the quarterbacks now of interest to Duke as a potential replacement for Darian Mensah is former Florida star QB DJ Lagway, who has been on the verge of heading to Baylor but hasn’t signed yet,” wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday night.

Lagway, who committed to Baylor on Jan. 8, has not yet officially signed. He has a comparable combination of size and athleticism to Mensah, standing at 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds with dual-threat capabilities. Lagway started all 12 games for Florida this past season, completing 62% of his passes for 2,264 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Over his two college seasons, he has completed 328 of 529 passes for 4,179 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions, and also rushed 122 times for 237 yards and one rushing score in 24 games. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

After leaving Florida, Lagway explored several options, visiting Florida State and Virginia, and was planning a trip to Stanford before ultimately committing to the Bears. His father, Derek Lagway Sr., played at Baylor, adding a family connection to that program. Nevertheless, Lagway’s unsigned status keeps multiple options open, with Duke now among the interested schools. He visited Ole Miss shortly after news broke that Trinidad Chambliss was denied an extra season of eligibility.

Lagway achieved the No. 7 overall ranking and the No. 2 quarterback spot in the 2024 class according to 247Sports, which recognized him as a five-star recruit. In the current transfer portal, the service ranks him as the No. 4 quarterback, with On3 placing him at No. 10.

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