Well, money talks louder than merit in this new era of college football, and the NIL train’s running off the rails. Remember when Nico Iamaleava’s $4 million demand sparked outrage, and Bryce Underwood’s $10.5 million cap without taking a single snap in CFB was a big buzz all around the sports world? Then how can folks miss out on this ACC powerhouse that’s shelling out $8 million for a sophomore while experienced players like Oklahoma’s transfer John Mateer rake in just $2.7 million? That kind of paycheck turns the locker room into a pressure cooker. And analyst RJ Young aptly describes the situation as a chaotic free-for-all where hype trumps hard work, and salaries overshadow the game itself.

The problem lies not in exceeding the cap but in warping expectations. Manny Diaz has just done exactly that at Duke. RJ Young isn’t criticizing Duke or Darian Mensah for securing an $8 million deal. That kind of offer? You grab it, no questions asked. But now, Duke walks into a whole new storm. The expectations were already skyrocketing for them after a 9-4 season, and now this kind of investment is just adding more to it.

“Duke is going to get measured at the quarterback position the way that we measure Clemson and Cade Klubnik, who made the playoffs and won the ACC championship game. Is that dude worth $4 million a year? Damn straight he is,” RJ Young warned them on Adapt & Respond with RJ Young. But Clemson was lucky in Klubnik’s case, but putting that same weight of expectations on Darian Mensah might also turn south.

Duke’s move will give Darian Mensah an annual average of $4 million, which would make him unofficially the highest-paid CFB player, as per CBS Sports. Even top high school recruits, such as Bryce Underwood and Julian Lewis, who are very famous and haven’t played college football, would typically receive that amount of money, but over a few years, not all at once. And that move has inflated the market. And Young is pointing straight at it: “I think Duke really upset the market and really set it back.”

But why? “Because now you’re looking at Carson Beck, and if you’re Miami, you’re going, Damn, we were going to be able to pay him three; maybe he wants four even in a state that’ some tax-free. The same thing at Tennessee is true, by the way, which is why it’s still bonkers to me that Nico Iamaleava wanted to try to hold Tennessee hostage here. That’s the thing, right?” he said. Imagine when Carson Beck asks for more than $4 million because, let’s be real, a guy who took his team to a championship last season deserves that kind of pay.

And let’s not forget Darian Mensah has big shoes to fill, as he is now in line to replace record-setting QB Maalik Murphy, who entered the portal after the regular season. With such a high-end investment to justify and a long legacy to take forward, Darian’s journey is anything but easy.

But Manny Diaz is right there to back his QB.

Manny Diaz forced to address the entire Darian Mensah NIL mess

Manny Diaz rebounded swiftly from his departure from Miami. After the Hurricanes replaced him with Mario Cristobal, Diaz revitalized his career under James Franklin at Penn State, crafting a dominant defense. Now Duke’s head coach, he’s not just aiming to be competitive; he’s aiming for greatness. His 2024 season, a 9-4 record, quietly revolutionized Duke football. The program had a complete coaching staff overhaul, yet Diaz’s first-year team delivered one of the best seasons in Duke history.

Diaz wasn’t content with just wins; he aggressively pursued Mensah. Following Murphy’s departure, Diaz swiftly recruited Mensah from Tulane – a quarterback boasting over 2,700 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions. The cost? A hefty $2.8 million NIL deal, projected to reach $8 million by the draft. Undeterred, Diaz declared, “Darian was as accomplished with the quarterback as there was, and certainly, we felt was the best in the portal at that time. The question [was], would he be interested in us?”

Diaz’s gamble paid off handsomely. Mensah joined Duke despite its incomplete transformation under Diaz. “He also saw our style of play on offense in year one, where we were still not, you know, sort of the fully operational Death Star. But just enough of it, identity-wise, to say, ‘That’s something I want to be in,” Diaz explained.  Mensah’s commitment was more than a recruiting coup; it showed faith in Diaz’s vision. Duke’s academic prestige was a bonus, offering Mensah a strong combination of football and future prospects.

After a spring game visit, Mensah declared, “As soon as I came on my visit, I knew this was home. Just being in there, it’s electric.” With a new starting quarterback and Diaz’s revitalized culture, Duke enters 2025 focused and ready. The question isn’t if Diaz can coach at this level, but how far he can take Duke with the increased stakes—and NIL money.