iStockphoto / © Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Darian Mensah will be able to leave the Duke football program. A settlement was reached amid a legal battle over the quarterback’s transfer.
He is expected to sign with the Miami Hurricanes out of the portal. It ends a dramatic portal saga that stemmed from a contract dispute.
Mensah initially committed to Tulane as a high school prospect. After a strong 2024 season, he tested the transfer market. The passer agreed to play for the Blue Devils. He would be paid handsomely for that move.
Mensah received a reported two-year deal worth $4 million per season. He instantly became one of college football’s highest paid players.
Darian Mensah broke his contract.
After one year, in which he led Duke to an ACC Championship, he opted to again enter the transfer portal. The quarterback market changed. He was looking to cash in.
This offseason, we saw Brendan Sorsby agree to a rumored $5 million deal at Texas Tech. LSU is believed to be paying Sam Leavitt a comparable salary.
Mensah was linked to Miami immediately after making his intentions to leave Durham known. It triggered a domino effect.
Tampering allegations were thrown the Hurricanes’ way. Questions surrounded the contract terms. Was there a buyout? Was he legally tied to Duke?
The Blue Devils believed so. They sued their signal caller to prevent him from signing with another school. While a judge ruled that Mensah was able to enter the portal, he would be unable to enroll or license NIL deals elsewhere.
On Monday, there was positive movement in Mensah’s transfer pursuit. A settlement was reached to free him from Duke.
Miami will get its QB.
It will come at a cost, though it’s still a bit unclear who will pay. Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports wrote earlier this month that if a buyout was paid, it would come from Miami’s rev-share pool.
If a buyout is paid by Mensah’s new school – possibly the value of the contract ($4M) – it will be reduced from the revenue-share pool of his new school, according to House settlement rules.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 16, 2026
After reading the outcome of the settlement, Dellenger provided an update. “Miami was not involved in the settlement, if you’re wondering,” he wrote on X. “This resolution was between Mensah/representatives and Duke.”
Will Miami pay? Will Darian Mensah pay? The terms of the agreement are not public.
With that said, an unspecified amount of money will be owed to cover Duke’s loss. Trey Wallace of Outkick had the following to say of the settlement.
Yes, this means Duke received a financial buyout that suited the university in the long term, which it can now use to pay current athletes on the roster, or last-minute additions.
Money isn’t the only component of this decision. There is another interesting aspect to the transfer. It relates to timing. Miami has already started its spring semester. Enrollment dates have passed.
LSU has already proven that bending the rules to admit a star player is possible.
Will Miami break its own rule?
Jordan Seaton found himself in a similar situation this week. After leaving Colorado, he underwent a lengthy recruitment.
Visits to Miami, Mississippi State, and LSU were taken. A face-to-face meetup with Oregon’s coaching staff also took place. He eventually committed to play for the Tigers.
That pledge came after spring enrollment deadlines had passed. It put his immediate eligibility at risk. The school worked to circumvent those guidelines to get him on campus.
NEW: Even though the deadline to enroll in classes passed last week, LSU transfer Jordan Seaton is expected to be on campus and enrolled in classes this week, source confirms. That would allow him to participate in spring practice.
As another source described it, “when you have…
— Matt Moscona (@MattMoscona) January 26, 2026
Miami’s spring semester deadline was set for January 21st according to the academic calendar. Gaby Urrutia of 247 Sports suggested that the Hurricanes could do the same for Mensah.
The final day to enroll in classes at Miami, per the university’s academic calendar, is Wednesday (Jan. 21), but there is a chance that school president Joe Echevarria will facilitate the program in getting players in past the deadline, considering the team’s season ended on Monday night (Jan. 19) in the national championship game.
It seems likely that steps will be taken to get the quarterback on campus as quickly as possible. The ability to enroll in the spring opens the door for spring practice participation with the football program.
The earlier he can get on the field and into his new offensive scheme, the better.
The Hurricanes will do anything in their power to make it happen. The process has already been laid out at LSU.