Friday at Shrine Bowl practice saw some exceptional play on the field and a lot of nervous people off the field. Weather forecasts of snow and ice over the next two days have NFL people and agents altering plans and getting out of town before the weather moves in. Yet there’s still plenty of buzz and rumors swirling at the players’ hotel. Here’s the latest.

Tampering with Darian Mensah?

One of the big topics of conversation here in Frisco has been the ongoing saga of Duke quarterback Darian Mensah. Scouts expect Mensah to be a first-round pick when he enters the NFL draft, and people in the league are keeping an eye on what’s happening.

Mensah announced last month that he was forgoing the draft and returning to Duke for another season, then made a last-minute decision to enter the transfer portal. Duke promptly responded by suing the quarterback, contending enrollment at another school violates the terms of the NIL deal he signed with the Blue Devils, a contract that ends December 31, 2026.

On Friday, a judge ruled that Mensah can enter the transfer portal but cannot play for another school before the judge’s ruling at an injunction hearing on Feb 2. When speaking about Mensah, the word “tampering” and the possibility of a supplemental draft in July for the quarterback have been speculated here in Frisco.

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Allegations of tampering by other schools to get players into the transfer portal have long been out there, even before the explosion of NIL deals in college sports. Coaches such as Dabo Swinney of Clemson and Jim Mora Jr., now at Colorado State, have openly complained in public about other schools tampering with their players. And that’s what people here in Frisco allege took place with Mensah, with several schools named as potential violators.

However, Duke’s lawsuit against Mensah is not the first of its kind.

Prior to the 2025 season, Georgia sued Missouri defensive end Damon Wilson II, as one month after he signed his NIL deal with the Bulldogs, he entered the transfer portal and signed with Missouri. Wilson recently entered the transfer portal again and has reportedly signed with the Miami Hurricanes.

Wisconsin sued Miami last 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.

Reports also state that Miami is in the lead to land Mensah if the courts clear the way for him to transfer. The belief is that any school that tampered with Mensah could be exposed during the litigation process, depending on how far Duke takes the lawsuit.

What happens if the lawsuit drags on for months and the courts rule that Mensah is ineligible to transfer to another university? Would he then return to Duke despite bad blood?

Teams I’ve spoken with here in Frisco speculate that if the situation drags on and Mensah is left with no options on the college field other than Duke, a supplemental draft could be in the works for the quarterback.

Though it’s a completely different situation, I’ve mentioned much the same about Trinidad Chambliss during a recent DraftCast podcast. Chambliss filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in the state of Mississippi, seeking another year of eligibility on the college field. If the case drags into April and Chambliss is denied another season of college football, the supplemental draft would likely be his only option.

The Rams’ intent on keeping young OT

The prevailing belief outside league circles is that offensive tackle is a position of need for the Los Angeles Rams, who battle the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in the NFC title game. It’s a narrative I bought into, as I had the team selecting Max Iheanachor in the second round of my recent two-round mock draft.

Yet sources tell me this is untrue and the team is happy with both offensive tackles, including right side blocker Warren McClendon Jr., their fifth-round pick from the 2023 draft. In fact, I’m told the Rams will look to extend McClendon, who will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2026, during the offseason. Locking him up in the future is expected to cost the Rams around $20 million annually.

McClendon was a terrific tackle in college for the Georgia Bulldogs, though questions about his size and ability to hold up at right tackle were red flags. After playing just five games as a rookie, then starting five the following season, McClendon started 10 games this year.

The team’s left tackle, 2021 undrafted free agent Alaric Jackson, signed a three-year, $57 million contract with the franchise prior to the start of this season.

Texans targeting offensive line help in FA

During a recent team-needs piece on the Houston Texans, I mentioned that the team has a screaming need on the interior of their offensive line. That same day, I also mentioned in a separate article on the Carolina Panthers that center Cade Mayes was not expected back and will hit the free-agent market in March.

Sources here at the Shrine Bowl expect the Texans to make a run at Mayes once free agency opens to fill the hole they have at center. Mayes, a sixth-round pick by Carolina in 2022, has started 27 games for the Panthers, including 20 over the past two seasons.