Duke files lawsuit over QB Darian Mensah's intention to transfer
- - Duke files lawsuit over QB Darian Mensah's intention to transfer
Nick Bromberg January 21, 2026 at 2:35 AM
3
Darian Mensah’s departure from Duke is getting messier.
Duke has filed a suit against Mensah in North Carolina state court in an attempt to prevent him from transferring away. The quarterback announced Friday that he would be entering the transfer portal on the final day it was open amid heavily rumored interest from Miami.
According to Sportico, Duke contends that “enrollment at another school and commitment to play football at that school” would violate the terms of the NIL deal he signed with the Blue Devils and that the contract he signed with the school stipulates that “no other school can use Mensah’s NIL.”
According to On3, there was no buyout in Mensah's contract with the school.
Darian Mensah’s counsel, Darren Heitner, says a judge today denied Duke’s request that Mensah be enjoined from entering the transfer portal. The judge, a Duke basketball season ticket holder, recused himself from future proceedings, Heitner says. https://t.co/rXZ8uGbr2y
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 20, 2026
Duke’s suit is not the first time a school has taken legal action involving a transferring player. Wisconsin sued Miami in June over Xavier Lucas’ transfer from the Badgers to the Hurricanes. Wisconsin contended that Miami tampered with the defensive back to get him to break his NIL deal with the Badgers. Miami contends it did nothing wrong and that family reasons led Lucas to transfer.
Earlier this offseason, Georgia’s athletic association said in a legal filing that Missouri DE Damon Wilson owed the school the balance of the NIL contract he signed at the end of the 2024 season. A month after Wilson signed his NIL deal with Georgia, he entered the transfer portal and signed with Missouri.
Wilson, who has filed a countersuit against the UGA athletic association, is now in the transfer portal again after recording nine sacks in 2025.
Neither of those cases, however, have the potential to be as high-profile as the legal fight surrounding Mensah. He transferred to Duke early in the 2025 offseason after a breakout season at Tulane in 2024. Mensah’s arrival in Durham was one of the biggest QB moves of the offseason — along with Miami’s addition of former Georgia QB Carson Beck — and the Blue Devils won the ACC title as Mensah threw for 34 touchdowns.
After Duke capped a 9-5 season with a victory over the Sun Bowl, Mensah announced he would be staying for the 2026 season. But with Miami and other schools potentially in need of a quarterback for the 2026 season as the quarterback transfer carousel slows down, Mensah announced his intention to transfer days before the national championship game.
Source: “AOL Sports”
