Duke, Darian Mensah announce settlement agreement

Duke and quarterback Darian Mensah have reached a settlement that formalizes his transfer from the institution, his agency Young Money APAA announced. Mensah and the Blue Devils had been in settlement talks for the last five days, and with the settlement, Duke drops its ongoing lawsuit. The expectation is that Mensah will transfer to Miami.

When Mensah announced his plans to enter the transfer portal on the final day of the college football transfer window on Jan. 16, Duke responded by suing the quarterback in Durham Superior Court. A judge ruled on a temporary restraining order, allowing Mensah to enter the transfer portal but prohibiting him from enrolling at a new school before the preliminary injunction hearing on Feb. 2.

Full details of the settlement were not released. Mensah signed a multiyear contract with Duke in July 2024 that was believed to be worth $4 million annually.

“Through close collaboration and principled negotiations, we have successfully navigated an unprecedented path, one that has now reached a fair and mutually agreeable resolution,” Young Money APAA said in its statement.

Mensah filed an emergency motion for reconsideration of the temporary restraining order last week. In an affidavit filed by Mensah, the Duke transfer quarterback states that “deadlines at other collegiate institutions who have indicated to me their interest in my enrollment will expire on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.”

“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,” Duke said in a statement. “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.”

Mensah threw for 3,646 yards, 30 touchdowns with a 68% completion rate in 2025, leading the Blue Devils to an ACC championship. His total passing yards ranked No. 3 in FBS in 2025, leading the ACC. He was fifth in FBS in passing touchdowns, too.

Darian Mensah transferred to Duke in December 2024 following a breakout redshirt freshman season at Tulane. He threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns as the Green Wave went 9-4 and made the American Conference title game.

Mensah previously announced his intentions to stay at Duke for the 2026 season, turning down the chance to enter the NFL draft. Instead, he will be entering the portal and leaving the Blue Devils after one season in Durham.