The quarterback situation for Miami for the 2026 football season has just gone from bad to worse, and the Hurricanes can thank Duke for that. Miami was hoping to get its quarterback of the future with the transfer of Duke quarterback Darian Mensah, but instead, the Blue Devils are turning it into a legal battle.
Mensah, who committed to play for Duke in 2026 back in December of 2025, decided just hours before the Transfer Portal closed to enter his name. He thanked Duke for everything they did for him and even admitted that it was a tough decision, but he ultimately had to do what was best for him.
The former Tulane quarterback spent one season at Duke, and once he entered the portal, he was predicted to pick Miami, a fellow ACC team. However, the Blue Devils are making things very tough for Mensah to leave Durham, going as far as suing their QB in order to keep him in the building.
Will Duke's lawsuit against Darian Mensah actually keep him in Durham?
The reason Duke is suing Mensah in reality is to get him to stay with the Blue Devils. When Mensah transferred to Duke from Tulane, he signed a multi-year deal with the team, making $4 million annually, and he entered the second year of that deal in December. The deal expires in December of 2026, and until then, the Blue Devils have exclusive rights to Mensah's NIL when it comes to education and sports.
So, when Mensah entered the Transfer Portal, Duke felt he was not holding up his end of the contract he signed with the Blue Devils, thus filing a lawsuit against him. Here is the statement from Duke in the filing:
"Contracts mean something. Mensah's actions violate numerous provisions of his contract with Duke University and disregard his promises and obligations to the University. And, as Mensah agreed when he signed his contract, such breaches cause Duke irreparable harm for which there is no adequate remedy at law and, in the event of any such breach, Duke is entitled to injunctive or other equitable relief."
Mensah is being represented by sports attorney Darren Heitner to help navigate how to deal with the lawsuit. Heitner stated that the lawsuit never should have been filed, and there are provisions on the contract that would allow Mensah to transfer if he wishes.
"There's no provision in the agreement that removes a requirement that Duke put the player in the portal within 48 (business) hours of a request. There's no irreparable harm, and there's a mechanism in the contract that shows how they'd be compensated for any harm, thus there cannot be irreparable harm."
So, looking at all the legal jargon, it feels like Duke has no real chance at stopping Mensah from transferring, but clearly, the two sides need to have a serious conversation about it all.