Duke's NIL collective has arranged for Tulane QB transfer Darian Mensah to be paid $4M/year

[Franisdaman]

Some excerpts from the linked article:

A 3-star high school prospect two years ago out of California, Darian Mensah hit the transfer portal with an eye-popping asking price that perhaps best illustrated what name, image and likeness has turned into within college football.

The Tulane redshirt freshman quarterback had a strong year, throwing for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Green Wave to a 9-4 record. When he entered the transfer portal Dec. 8, amid rumors his coach, Jon Sumrall, could be on the move to another job, it was understandable to expect considerable interest in the young 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback. 247Sports ranked Mensah as the No. 7 quarterback and No. 72 overall prospect in the transfer portal.

What followed, however, speaks to a situation where money has flooded in from all corners and players hitting the market have never benefited more. According to sources around college football, Mensah received a deal from Duke that is believed to pay him $8 million over two years. A $4 million annual average would make him the highest-paid player in college football history, unofficially. A year ago, the going rate for a top-of-the-market quarterback like Cam Ward, who went from Washington State to Miami, or Riley Leonard, who left Duke for Notre Dame, was a little less than half that.

In college basketball, BYU is expected to pay top recruit AJ Dybantsa over $5 million for likely one year of his services in 2025-26. The NCAA was neutered earlier this year in its efforts to curb what has essentially become pay-for-play.

A $4 million annual salary would put Mensah on par or higher than nine base salaries of Power Four head coaches in 2024, according to USA Today's coaching salary database. That includes Big 12-winning Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea and the recently-fired West Virginia coach Neal Brown.

Basketball-crazed Duke, which went 9-3 this season under first-year coach Manny Diaz in one of the best years in program history, going this big in the portal and NIL market is a sign of the changing times. Sources have indicated the Blue Devils may have moved on from QB Maalik Murphy, who ended up at Oregon State, a cutthroat move after Murphy delivered one of the best seasons in recent Duke quarterback history -- and a further indication of where college football has arrived.

The Full story:

Highest-paid player in college football history? Transfer QB Darian Mensah's Duke deal is sign of times

$5 million budgets become $15 million and $10 million become $25 million in a market rife with NIL inflation

www.cbssports.com

 

[ItsAllBallBearingsNowadays]

Some excerpts from the linked article:

A 3-star high school prospect two years ago out of California, Darian Mensah hit the transfer portal with an eye-popping asking price that perhaps best illustrated what name, image and likeness has turned into within college football.

The Tulane redshirt freshman quarterback had a strong year, throwing for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Green Wave to a 9-4 record. When he entered the transfer portal Dec. 8, amid rumors his coach, Jon Sumrall, could be on the move to another job, it was understandable to expect considerable interest in the young 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback. 247Sports ranked Mensah as the No. 7 quarterback and No. 72 overall prospect in the transfer portal.

What followed, however, speaks to a situation where money has flooded in from all corners and players hitting the market have never benefited more. According to sources around college football, Mensah received a deal from Duke that is believed to pay him $8 million over two years. A $4 million annual average would make him the highest-paid player in college football history, unofficially. A year ago, the going rate for a top-of-the-market quarterback like Cam Ward, who went from Washington State to Miami, or Riley Leonard, who left Duke for Notre Dame, was a little less than half that.

In college basketball, BYU is expected to pay top recruit AJ Dybantsa over $5 million for likely one year of his services in 2025-26. The NCAA was neutered earlier this year in its efforts to curb what has essentially become pay-for-play.

A $4 million annual salary would put Mensah on par or higher than nine base salaries of Power Four head coaches in 2024, according to USA Today's coaching salary database. That includes Big 12-winning Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea and the recently-fired West Virginia coach Neal Brown.

Basketball-crazed Duke, which went 9-3 this season under first-year coach Manny Diaz in one of the best years in program history, going this big in the portal and NIL market is a sign of the changing times. Sources have indicated the Blue Devils may have moved on from QB Maalik Murphy, who ended up at Oregon State, a cutthroat move after Murphy delivered one of the best seasons in recent Duke quarterback history -- and a further indication of where college football has arrived.

The Full story:

Highest-paid player in college football history? Transfer QB Darian Mensah's Duke deal is sign of times

$5 million budgets become $15 million and $10 million become $25 million in a market rife with NIL inflation

www.cbssports.com

Absolutely crazy. I’ve long accepted pro athletes making what they do. I’m not sure I’ll ever get there with college kids.

 

[Bow.to.the.Narrative]

Burn. It. Down.

 

[icwesthawk]

Unsustainable

 

[hawkirugged17]

 

[Hawkfan_08]

I don't think the QB is worth $8 mil. Only 22 TDs? Why?

 

[Fan In Black]

they will have the last laugh when they go 8-4 and play for the Pop Tart trophy. Haters gonna hate.

 

[jonesy5960]

This also speaks to the level of money that's been sitting on the sidelines waiting to be "invested" into college sports. It's become a massive entertainment industry that is now dominated by millionaires and billionaires, just like every other huge industry in America.

 

[jonesy5960]

I don't think the QB is worth $8 mil. Only 22 TDs? Why?

Why what?

 

[rrdd2021]

This also speaks to the level of money that's been sitting on the sidelines waiting to be "invested" into college sports. It's become a massive entertainment industry that is now dominated by millionaires and billionaires, just like every other huge industry in America.

That'd why I chuckle every time I read about OSU's $20 million roster investment. They let those figures out. If we only knew what some of the other schools have really paid out (Oregon, Texas, TAMU etc....) our jaws would drop. Some would probably make OSU's figure look like pocket change

 

[the24fan]

joke.
The death knell for college sports as we know it is ringing loud.
Locker rooms are going to be cancers before long between the paid players and those guys working their a$$ off for nothing

 

[Hawkfan_08]

Why what?

Why would you pay the kid $8 mil.

 

[BonzoFury]

Why would you pay the kid $8 mil.

Somebody has a great agent. This is ridiculous

 

[TXHCHawk]

Unsustainable

Could be sustainable, but foolish. When a few folks spend that much money, some will not, maybe ever, win the CFP, for whatever that’s worth. Then what? They stop spending that much for NIL? They perpetually demand coaching changes from the schools? They want large roster changes year-to-year?

If the fools want to part with their money, so be it. If coaches want to fall deeper into managed chaos, so be it. If schools want these albatrosses over their heads, so be it.

Watch the programs and schools you respect. Give those your support. Otherwise, fuel the speculative big NIL donors’ programs.

 

[Franisdaman]

Somebody has a great agent. This is ridiculous

We are now at the point where college players are making more than college coaches.

A $4 million annual salary would put Mensah on par or higher than nine base salaries of Power Four head coaches in 2024, according to USA Today's coaching salary database. That includes Big 12-winning Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea and the recently-fired West Virginia coach Neal Brown.

 

[kwik44]

Kirk is playing by visions of what he *thinks* NIL should be, not what the current reality is.

Scared money doesn’t make money.

 

[kmurp]

There’s a massive wealth disparity in this country with more rich folks than ever. I think this kind of thing might be sustainable.

 

[BonzoFury]

We are now at the point where college players are making more than college coaches.

A $4 million annual salary would put Mensah on par or higher than nine base salaries of Power Four head coaches in 2024, according to USA Today's coaching salary database. That includes Big 12-winning Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea and the recently-fired West Virginia coach Neal Brown.

This kid is going to be under some serious pressure to win, as he should be. The "they're just college kids" disclaimer ain't gonna protect him. One also has to wonder how this affects the team chemistry.

 

[jberesford]

Its gonna be interesting when some of these rich AF private schools decide they want to be good in football and basketball. I think you're starting to see it with Northwestern. They're building the theatre, they just need the actors next. Duke buying a quarterback is another example. There are some rich state schools (Texas/California) but they have large university networks to support. How bout Stanford? They actually have been really good at times in both sports. What happens when they start opening up the coffers and join the arms race? Quite frankly I'm surprised we haven't seen it yet with basketball. Its pretty easy to stack the rosters on smaller teams. For only a couple top dollar players Northwestern can easily become Duke.

 

[Bold_Crow]

That's money that could help a lot of families during Christmas time. NIL is gross. Find who is donating and ask them what they've done to support local charities or needy families. Don't give them a dime.

 

[Dauminator]

That's money that could help a lot of families during Christmas time. NIL is gross. Find who is donating and ask them what they've done to support local charities or needy families. Don't give them a dime.

It's a dangerous game to get into "whatabouts." But you're right. $4M for a kid who, for all I know, might already be well off to play college QB for a year or... you could change the lives of dozens of families, quite possibly altering the life trajectory of any children involved. Should be an easy choice.

Our society is sick.

 

[jonesy5960]

Why would you pay the kid $8 mil.

I wouldn't, but that's irrelevant. He's worth $8 million to someone or some people with more money than they know what to do with and that's all that matters in this case.

 

[Franisdaman]

Its gonna be interesting when some of these rich AF private schools decide they want to be good in football and basketball. I think you're starting to see it with Northwestern. They're building the theatre, they just need the actors next. Duke buying a quarterback is another example. There are some rich state schools (Texas/California) but they have large university networks to support. How bout Stanford? They actually have been really good at times in both sports. What happens when they start opening up the coffers and join the arms race? Quite frankly I'm surprised we haven't seen it yet with basketball. Its pretty easy to stack the rosters on smaller teams. For only a couple top dollar players Northwestern can easily become Duke.

Duke boosters now want to be good at football. Great!

Doesn't SMU have a lot of very rich alumni? First year in the ACC and they make the CFP.

Makes you wonder if there is an end to this madness anytime soon....or if it just keeps getting worse....

 

[HawkeyeGenius]

That'd why I chuckle every time I read about OSU's $20 million roster investment. They let those figures out. If we only knew what some of the other schools have really paid out (Oregon, Texas, TAMU etc....) our jaws would drop. Some would probably make OSU's figure look like pocket change

I think Knight is willing to pay anything to get Oregon a national title.

 

[bobchawk]

Kirk is playing by visions of what he *thinks* NIL should be, not what the current reality is.

Scared money doesn’t make money.

this is true but putting all your chips in and then flatlining is worse than buying the CD

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

joke.
The death knell for college sports as we know it is ringing loud.
Locker rooms are going to be cancers before long between the paid players and those guys working their a$$ off for nothing

The death knell started when million dollars coaches hired million dollar sons for last place results whole fans kept coming for thousands and were happy while players acted the right white way.

 

[kceasthawk]

This also speaks to the level of money that's been sitting on the sidelines waiting to be "invested" into college sports. It's become a massive entertainment industry that is now dominated by millionaires and billionaires, just like every other huge industry in America.

Crazy thing this. Obviously having all this money doesn't make someone any smarter. The vast majority of these folks may just as well put there money in a 55 gal drum and set it on fire. What a waste. Its almost as bad as watching the folks walk in to a QT and you can see they struggle to get by, and yet every week they're buying lotto's and scratch off tickets, willing to spend their last 10 bucks hoping to hit the big one.

 

[kceasthawk]

The death knell started when million dollars coaches hired million dollar sons for last place results whole fans kept coming for thousands and were happy while players acted the right white way.

Really had to stretch that one out there huh. Hiring Brian as OC was a mistake. No one is arguing that, but calling it last place results when your averaging 9 wins a year is just plain stupid. The end result is still to win. Period....

 

[kceasthawk]

This kid is going to be under some serious pressure to win, as he should be. The "they're just college kids" disclaimer ain't gonna protect him. One also has to wonder how this affects the team chemistry.

There can't be any such thing as team chemistry now at schools going down this path. How could you have the QB making 4 million and the guy who blocks for him making 20K, especially if the QB is right out of high school and hasn't done shit.

 

[the24fan]

The death knell started when million dollars coaches hired million dollar sons for last place results whole fans kept coming for thousands and were happy while players acted the right white way.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

Really had to stretch that one out there huh. Hiring Brian as OC was a mistake. No one is arguing that, but calling it last place results when your averaging 9 wins a year is just plain stupid. The end result is still to win. Period....

Its a sihn of our times. Greed corruption, insane CEO salaries and of course stealth racism 8n a modern world.

Not a stretch at all. The rosring 20s are falling apart.

Iowa jas had the worst O in D1 over years. This year was even a joke against real teams. It is time you got a reality check.

 

[Smalltownhawkfan 1]

That’s more then Brock Purdy makes I believe he is making like $900,000.

 

[Bow.to.the.Narrative]

There can't be any such thing as team chemistry now at schools going down this path. How could you have the QB making 4 million and the guy who blocks for him making 20K, especially if the QB is right out of high school and hasn't done shit.

It worked okay for Tennessee last year when Iowa played them.

 

[Franisdaman]

That’s more then Brock Purdy makes I believe he is making like $900,000.

This is Brock's 3rd season with the 49'ers. At the end of this season he won't have earned $3M yet.

Year by Year Earnings:
2022:......$1,030,346
2023:.........$870,000
2024:.........$985,000
TOTAL: $2,885,346

Next season he is scheduled to make $1,100,000.

 

[JasonTAlexanderJR]

They’re buying a qb for $8 million. Amazing

 

[kceasthawk]

Its a sihn of our times. Greed corruption, insane CEO salaries and of course stealth racism 8n a modern world.

Not a stretch at all. The rosring 20s are falling apart.

Iowa jas had the worst O in D1 over years. This year was even a joke against real teams. It is time you got a reality check.

Don't need one. I know whats real, and whats insanity that won't possibly last and it's being unveiled before us right now......

 

[TXHCHawk]

This is Brock's 3rd season with the 49'ers. At the end of this season he won't have earned $3M yet.

Year by Year Earnings:
2022:......$1,030,346
2023:.........$870,000
2024:.........$985,000
TOTAL: $2,885,346

Next season he is scheduled to make $1,100,000.

Considering what Brock has accomplished, and what many unproven CFB QBs have not, this illustrates how insane the $ situation is for CFB. Either Brock has a very, poor contract, or CFB speculators have very, poor market evaluation skills, or both. Nonetheless, this is telling.

 

[GunnerHawk]

There’s a massive wealth disparity in this country with more rich folks than ever. I think this kind of thing might be sustainable.

Not as many wealthy as you might think. Nationally, approximately 2% have a net worth of $2M. Many on the lower end are not going to piss away money on a college football player. I thought Duke alum were smarter than that. On the other hand, if you don't think Duke and coach K had significant benefits for players and their families you are mistaken. I remember a behind-the-lines piece where alumni gave high paying jobs to parents, Carlos Boozer was one of the names I remember.

As someone said, I guess they want to be good in football too.

 

[93hawkeye]

This is an anomaly: The brainiacs at Duke saw the kid's name was 1 letter off from "Mensa", the high IQ society, and thought he'd be the perfect fit. It's like if Iowa could have landed AJ Hawk backin the day...

 

[binsfeldcyhawk2]

With the advent of NIL I sure as hell didn't think Duke and Indiana would be a couple of the bigger beneficiaries in FOOTBALL. Didn't see that coming...