The Duke Blue Devils are suddenly back in quarterback-hunting mode-and the timing couldn’t be worse.
Just hours before the transfer portal slammed shut on Friday, Darian Mensah pulled a stunning pivot, opting to re-enter the portal and leave Duke without the quarterback they had been counting on heading into 2026. That decision leaves the Blue Devils scrambling, and with most of the top-tier quarterbacks already spoken for, the market is looking thin.
But not empty.
One name that’s surfaced as a potential fit in Durham is Michigan’s Jadyn Davis. And there’s some history here.
Duke was in the mix for Davis back when he was a highly-touted four-star recruit out of Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina. That was before he committed to Michigan in March 2023, choosing the Wolverines over a long list of suitors.
Now, Davis is back on the market after a quiet stint in Ann Arbor. With Bryce Underwood entrenched ahead of him on the depth chart, Davis saw limited action-just two passes thrown in his college career so far, one of which ended up in the hands of the opposing defense.
But don’t let the lack of playing time fool you. Davis was ranked as the No. 4 quarterback and the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
He’s got the kind of arm talent that made Power Five programs line up during his recruitment.
At 20 years old and heading into what would be his redshirt junior season, Davis is still a developmental player-but one with a high ceiling. He’s not a true dual-threat quarterback, but the arm strength is real. And for a Duke team that just lost a proven star, that upside might be worth betting on.
Make no mistake, though: replacing Mensah is a tall order. The former Tulane standout was electric in his lone season in Durham, throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and 34 touchdowns.
He didn’t just put up numbers-he led Duke to its first outright ACC title since 1962 and capped the season with a Sun Bowl win over Arizona State. That kind of production doesn’t grow on trees.
Mensah had signed a two-year, $8 million NIL deal to play for Duke and was expected to return in 2026 after flirting with the NFL Draft. But in a last-minute twist, he reversed course and jumped back into the portal, leaving Duke to pick up the pieces.
Now, the Blue Devils are left to navigate a suddenly uncertain quarterback situation. Jadyn Davis might not be a ready-made replacement, but he’s a name to watch-a talented passer with local ties and untapped potential. Whether Duke can land him, and whether he can fill even part of the void left by Mensah, could define the Blue Devils' season before it even begins.