Duke files lawsuit vs. QB Darian Mensah to block a transfer
Duke has filed a lawsuit against quarterback Darian Mensah, seeking to block his transfer efforts and contract with another school to play elsewhere next season.
The university filed its suit in Durham County Superior Court on Monday, three days after Mensah canceled his previously announced plan to return to the Blue Devils after leading them to the ACC title.
The school argued that its two-season contract with Mensah – signed in July 2025 and running through 2026 – paid it for the exclusive rights to commercialize Mensah’s name, image and likeness (NIL) related to college football.
Duke requested a temporary restraining order from the court to block Mensah from the transfer portal and prevent him from taking further steps in the process of reaching an agreement with a new school, arguing that the contract requires the parties to go through arbitration before any dispute can be resolved.
“This case arises from the decision of a star quarterback in the increasingly complex world of college sports,” the complaint states in its introduction. “But ultimately, this is a simple matter that involves the integrity of contracts.”
Mensah, a transfer from Tulane, finished second in the FBS in throwing for 3,973 yards while tying for second with 34 touchdown passes.
The Mensah-Duke case is the latest in a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common in the revenue-sharing era of college sports: legal fights over contracts between schools and players seeking to transfer.
Earlier this month, Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. announced his intention to transfer before changing his mind two days later, amid multiple reports that the school was prepared to pursue legal options to enforce Williams’ NIL contract.
In December, Missouri passer Damon Wilson II filed a countersuit, claiming the Georgia athletic department was trying to punish him illegally for entering the portal in January 2025. Georgia filed suit in November, claiming Wilson owed the athletic department $390,000 in damages for leaving the team.
