Duke University is taking its star quarterback, Darian Mensah, to court in a move that’s shaking up the college football world. Basically, Mensah decided to jump into the transfer portal right at the last second on January 16, 2026, even though he’d previously promised to stay. Duke isn’t entertaining it one bit today.

The university claims that Darian Mensah is breaking multiyear contract that’s supposed to keep him in Durham through the end of 2026.

The drama centers on a huge NIL deal that reportedly pays Mensah about $4 million a year. Duke argues that since they’re paying him top dollar for the “exclusive” rights to his brand in football. So he can’t just take that brand to another school like Miami. They’re basically saying, ‘We bought these rights, and they’re worthless if you’re playing for the competition’.

In their 44-page lawsuit, Duke alleges that Mensah and his team were “shopping around” and talking to other schools behind their back, which was a big no-no in his contract. They also claim he leaked the private financial details of his deal. Duke football are hell-bent when it comes to “integrity of contracts” and making sure players stick to the deals they sign.

Duke tried to get an immediate “stop order” to block him from even entering the transfer portal. But a judge turned that down on January 20. Interestingly, that judge had to step down from the case afterward because he’s a huge Duke basketball fan and season-ticket holder. Which was seen as a conflict of interest.

Because that initial request got denied, Duke’s expected to officially put Mensah’s name in the portal by Wednesday, January 21, 2026. However, the legal fight is far from over. There is a bigger hearing scheduled for February 2. The new judge will decide if Mensah can actually enroll or play at a new school while this whole thing is sorted out in arbitration.

For what it’s worth, Mensah is the top target left in the portal. But any school that is ready to take him understands just how good Mensah can be. That’s why the Miami Hurricanes are hell-bent on landing him.

The Miami Hurricanes are the ones to watch

Miami is going all-in on Darian Mensah. They are in “win-now” mode. They desperately need a superstar to lead them back to the National Championship in 2026. After losing the title game to Indiana last night, the Hurricanes now find themselves without a starting quarterback. Carson Beck has officially run out of eligibility. You can count on one hand the number of gunslingers who are better than Mensah. The former Tulane QB led the ACC with 3,973 passing yards and 34 TDs.

The timing of this is also a huge factor in why Miami is being so aggressive. Mind you again, Mensah entered the transfer portal on January 16. That was the very last day players could enter during the winter window. Since most other S-tier quarterbacks had already found new homes, Miami was busy with their natty. To make sure they didn’t miss out, they offered a deal worth well over $6 million. Not to mention additional perks like country club housing, an Adidas campaign, and even a scholarship for his sister.

Miami is basically willing to deal with the legal “hot seat.” Mario Cristobal believes Mensah is the missing piece for their 2026 title run. Even though Duke has filed a lawsuit claiming he’s breaking a contract. The Hurricanes are reportedly prepared to pay a $10 million buyout to make the transfer happen and clear his legal path. By moving their own backup, Emory Williams, to the portal on January 20, they’ve made it crystal clear that they’ve already bet the house on Mensah being their next QB1.

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