Former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah said he is transferring to Duke.

The top-ranked player in ESPN’s transfer portal rankings confirmed his decision Wednesday with ESPN.

Mensah, who visited the Durham, N.C., campus on Tuesday, said he was impressed by Duke coach Manny Diaz.

“He gets you going; he’s legit,” Mensah told ESPN. “They have a legit defensive line. He’ll take this team as far as we want to go.”

Mensah guided the Green Wave to the American Athletic Conference title game as a redshirt freshman this season.

Tulane (9-4) reached No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings before ending the season with consecutive losses. The Green Wave face Florida (7-5) in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 20.

Mensah has three years of eligibility remaining. He completed 189 of 287 passes (65.9 percent) for 2,723 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, adding 132 rushing yards and a score.

He is now in line to replace record-setting Blue Devils quarterback Maalik Murphy, who also entered the portal after the regular season. Duke (9-3) will take on Ole Miss (9-3) in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2.

Mensah said the chance to earn a Duke diploma factored in his decision.

“It’s a prestigious university, and a great education is also important to me,” Mensah said. “It’s just a family out here. I wanted to be part of that.”

–Field Level Media