In the midst of a legal battle with Duke University, Blue Devils quarterback and Miami target Darian Mensah has entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.
Duke sued Mensah, who announced his intention to enter the portal on Jan. 16, to try to keep him from entering the portal and from transferring to another university. A judge denied Duke’s request for a temporary restraining order to keep Mensah from entering the portal, Mensah’s lawyer Darren Heitner said, but the judge granted the university’s request for a temporary restraining order to keep Mensah from enrolling at another school, according to court documents.
As such, Mensah is currently in limbo where he is in the portal and can be recruited by other schools — of which Miami is considered the favorite to land him for the 2026 season — but he cannot enroll and start playing for another school at least until the next hearing on the case, which is scheduled for Feb. 2. Heitner said he and Mensah want to move up the date for the hearing.
“Mr. Mensah has an existing contract with Duke which the university intends to honor, and we expect he will do the same,” Duke said in a statement. “The court-ordered temporary restraining order (TRO) issued yesterday ensures he does not violate his contract. The university is committed to supporting all our student-athletes, while expecting each of them to abide by their contractual obligations.”
Mensah signed a two-year NIL contract with Duke that extends through the end of 2026. It is reportedly worth $4 million per year.
Mensah played one season at Duke, helping lead the Blue Devils to a surprising ACC championship. He threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025. He was second in the nation in passing yards and tied for second in touchdown passes.
Mensah, a second-team All-ACC selection, had the second-best passing grade in the conference (85), trailing only FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos. Mensah ranked 13th in the nation.
Mensah’s top target at Duke, wide receiver Cooper Barkate, also reportedly entered the portal on Wednesday night. Barkate had 72 catches for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. On3 reporter Pete Nakos said Miami is the team to watch for Barkate.