Who Are Darian Mensah’s Parents? All About Mother Naomi-Brebes Mensah

Week 1 of the 2025 season had folks double-checking the box score when Duke’s brand-new quarterback, Darian Mensah, lit Elon on fire. He put up video game numbers like 27 of 34, 389 yards, 3 touchdowns with no picks. The second half? Flawless, 11-for-11, turning a 17–17 tie into a 45–17 Blue Devils beatdown. That’s the second-most passing yards ever by a Duke QB in a debut and the first 300-yard opener in 15 years. But behind the arm talent and NIL headlines, there’s a story rooted in family. One name keeps coming up: Naomi-Brebes Mensah.

Darian’s rise wasn’t overnight. After making noise at Tulane in 2024, he hit the transfer portal and Duke backed up the NIL truck with a deal reportedly worth $4 million a year. He’s now one of the most highly paid players in college football, but he still shows up in flip-flops and a T-shirt, ready to hit class after practice. The Hollywood glow hasn’t changed him. What did? His mom’s journey. That’s where this story really begins.

Who are Darian Mensah’s parents?

Darian was raised primarily by his mother, Naomi-Brebes Mensah. A longtime acupuncture and massage therapist, Naomi calls herself “a healer.” When her husband left, she raised Darian and his siblings on her own. Food stamps, repossessed car, bankruptcy. You name the hurdle, Naomi cleared it. Darian once said, “Without her resilience, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

The Mensah crew is athletic through and through. Darian’s twin sister, Grace, plays soccer at Oregon. His brother Elvis, born in Ghana, is a soccer player at Academy of Art University. Two other sisters, Anela and Ashley, round out the squad. Naomi didn’t just push them toward sports, she dragged them. Sometimes literally, to practices, scraping together gas money, cleats, and anything else to keep the dream alive. Now? Darian’s NIL windfall has turned that grind into gold. He bought her a Dodge Ram and started a nonprofit to fund underprivileged athletes back home. It’s not just football money. It’s family money, reinvested right where it all started.

Where did Naomi-Brebes Mensah and Darian’s father meet?

Here’s where the details get murky. Public records don’t spill the full story. What’s clear is that Naomi met Darian’s father years ago, and together they built a family with roots tied to Ghana. But somewhere along the way, life shifted. Naomi has been open about raising her kids largely without a partner, and the exact circumstances of when or how she and Darian’s father met remain private. What we do know? Her strength carried on even after he stepped out. Naomi became both coach and chauffeur, and both parent and provider.

What ethnicity are Darian Mensah’s parents?

Heritage runs deep in the Mensah bloodline. Darian’s father is Ghanaian, a connection reflected most visibly through his brother Elvis, who was born in Ghana before moving to the U.S. Naomi’s side of the family hasn’t been as publicly detailed, but the mix gives Darian a multicultural identity rooted in West African tradition on one side and American grit on the other.

Inside Darian Mensah’s relationship with his parents

This one cuts deeper. His dad is literally MIA. Darian doesn’t talk about him much, if at all. What fills the void is Naomi’s presence. She was in the stands, behind the wheel, on the sidelines. Darian gave big love to his mama: “My mom did everything in her power to keep us in the game—whether it was finding ways to afford gear, driving us to practices, or leaning on the community for support,” said Mensah.

Their bond runs beyond football. When Darian signed his $4 million-per-year NIL deal at Duke, he didn’t flex with chains or mansions. He started a nonprofit to back underprivileged athletes. He linked up with Single Moms Planet to support women hit hardest by California wildfires. That’s not coincidence. That’s Naomi’s values passing through him like DNA.

It’s easy to write off a 20-year-old millionaire QB as cocky, but Darian carries himself with a mellow, California-cool edge. Duke OC Jonathan Brewer nailed it: “He’s got some guts to him… he’s got an edge, a prove-them-wrong.” That edge? It’s sharpened by watching his mom wade out of poverty and by carrying her resilience on the field. For Darian, every touchdown is more than just points on the board.

So when you ask who Darian Mensah’s parents are, the answer doesn’t come in neat little bios. His dad gave him roots in Ghana. His mom, Naomi, gave him everything else—drive, resilience, and a vision bigger than football. And in the NIL era, where kids cash checks like pros, Darian’s story isn’t about money changing him. It’s about money finally catching up to a mom’s sacrifice.