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By Matthew Schmidt
Contributing Sports Writer
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Darian Mensah and the Duke Blue Devils defeated the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC Championship Game, but it was not enough to get Duke into the College Football Playoff.
Considering Duke went just 8-5 on the season, that should not come as much of a surprise, and Miami was clearly the best team in the conference. But with the Blue Devils finally getting some national attention, Mensah has suddenly emerged as one of the most intriguing quarterbacks in the country.
Read more: Indiana, Curt Cignetti Slammed With Rough Outlook Before SEC Clash
Read More on NCAA
Mensah led the ACC in passing yards (3,646), passing touchdowns (30) and completions (305). He threw just six interceptions and completed 67.9 percent of his throws in what has been a brilliant campaign for the redshirt sophomore.
However, the former Tulane signal-caller has still not garnered a whole lot of respect in terms of his NFL Draft stock.
Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 315 prospects in the nation going into the 2026 NFL Draft, and he had Mensah all the way at No. 218.
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"Mensah is a cerebral quarterback with a high completion rate and a good understanding of the game," Sikkema wrote. "His touch passing stands out, though it often feels like a necessity given his limited arm strength. At this stage, his physical tools aren't quite NFL-ready. He'll need to get bigger and stronger to project as a viable pro prospect."
Mensah is widely expected to return to Durham for next season, but you still kind of get the feeling he is getting a bit disrespected here in terms of his standing as an NFL prospect.
While the 20-year-old definitely lacks the top-tier athleticism you would want from a dual threat in today's game, he has very impressive arm talent, reads the defense well and has solid size at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds.
Read more: Texas Coach Steve Sarkisian Shares Blunt Opinion on SEC Championship Game
Perhaps Mensah will further build his stock next year and establish himself as one of the top quarterback prospects heading into the 2027 NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, Duke is preparing to face Arizona State in the Sun Bowl.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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