Duke University and quarterback Darian Mensah have reached a settlement that will allow Mensah to transfer, his agency and Duke announced Tuesday.
Duke had sued Mensah over his attempt to transfer, saying the quarterback had signed a two-season contract with the school in 2025. A judge agreed to a temporary restraining order, keeping Mensah from enrolling at another college. A hearing was set in Durham for Thursday.
Mensah, who led the Blue Devils to the ACC championship in December, is expected to transfer to Miami. He reportedly was paid about $4 million per season. His redacted contract, which expired at the end of 2026, was included in the court documents.
“Duke University Athletics and Darian Mensah have reached a resolution that enables both parties to move forward,” the school said in a statement.
“We are committed to fulfilling all promises and obligations Duke makes to our student-athletes when we enter into contractual agreements with them, and we expect the same in return. Enforcing those agreements is a necessary element of ensuring predictability and structure for athletic programs. It is nonetheless a difficult choice to pursue legal action against a student and teammate; for this reason we sought to resolve the matter fairly and quickly.
“Duke remains dedicated to the welfare of all student-athletes, and we appreciate them for the talent, dedication, and commitment to excellence they demonstrate both on and off the field. We also remain committed to upholding the integrity of our athletics programs and institutional guidelines. We thank Darian for his contributions to Duke University.”
Mensah was a second-team All-ACC selection in 2025. He transferred from Tulane.
“Through close collaboration and principled negotiation, we have successfully navigated an unprecedented path, one that has now reached a fair and mutually agreeable resolution,” Young Money APAA Sports said.
In December, Mensah announced that he was returning to Duke, foregoing early entry into the NFL Draft. But on Jan. 16, the final day that players could enter the transfer portal, Mensah announced he was leaving Duke. The Blue Devils’ top receiver, Cooper Barkate, is expected to follow Mensah, according to media reports.
