Duke University is taking an unprecedented step in the evolving world of college athletics, filing a lawsuit against star quarterback Darian Mensah in an effort to block his transfer after he entered the portal last week. The legal battle centers around a multi-year NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) agreement that Duke says Mensah is violating by attempting to leave the program.
The university submitted its complaint to Durham County Superior Court, asking for both an injunction and a temporary restraining order to keep Mensah from enrolling at another school. According to the filing, the NIL deal in question runs through December 31, 2026, and grants Duke exclusive rights to Mensah’s name, image, and likeness “with respect to higher education and football.” In simpler terms, Duke believes it has a binding agreement that ties Mensah to the school - not just in spirit, but contractually.
This isn’t just about a quarterback leaving - it’s about what happens when the business of college sports collides with the freedom of player movement. Duke argues that allowing Mensah to transfer would cause “irreparable harm,” claiming that monetary damages wouldn’t be enough to make up for the loss. The school says Mensah would be acting as if his contractual obligations “do not exist” by suiting up elsewhere and licensing his NIL to another program.
And while Mensah hasn’t publicly commented, all signs point to Miami as his likely destination - a program still licking its wounds after falling to Indiana in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday.
But there’s another twist: the NIL contract reportedly includes a mandatory arbitration clause. That means disputes like this are supposed to be handled outside of court.
Still, Duke is arguing that the situation is urgent enough to warrant emergency legal action while arbitration plays out. The school says the timing of the portal window - which opened on January 2 - and the scarcity of available quarterbacks make it nearly impossible to find a replacement of Mensah’s caliber.
And that caliber is no exaggeration. In 2025, Mensah didn’t just lead the ACC in passing yards and touchdowns - he rewrote Duke’s record books, setting a new single-season mark for passing touchdowns and guiding the Blue Devils to a conference championship. His breakout season put him on the national radar and made him one of the most sought-after players in the portal.
Now, his future - and potentially the future of NIL contracts in college football - is tied up in a legal showdown that could set a precedent for how schools handle star athletes with binding NIL agreements. If Duke succeeds in keeping Mensah from transferring, it could open the door for other programs to use NIL deals as a way to lock in talent. If Mensah wins, it reinforces the idea that players still hold the power to control their careers - even in the era of multimillion-dollar endorsements and legal fine print.
One thing’s clear: this isn’t just about one quarterback or one school. This is a defining moment in the ever-shifting landscape of college football, where the lines between amateurism, free agency, and business continue to blur.