Duke tight end Landen King was ejected from the Sun Bowl against Arizona State for spitting after a Blue Devils touchdown. They led 28-21 with 37 seconds left in the half.
Arizona State would kick a field goal to cut it to 28-24. It was a 15-year penalty for Duke that led to the former. It wasn’t King’s first altercation during the game, as explained in the video below.
Based on multiple angles, it looked like King spat in the face of a player or spat on the ground. Either way, he was removed from the game.
King did not register any catches on Wednesday against the Sun Devils. Coming into the contest, King had 15 catches for 203 yards, four touchdowns and 13.5 yards per catch. 2025 is his first season with the Blue Devils.
King spent two years at Auburn and then two at Utah. He transferred after the 2024 campaign to play for Manny Diaz and company. Overall, he has 38 catches for 506 yards, nine touchdowns and 13.5 yards per catch.
As a member of the Class of 2021, King was a three-star recruit out of Humble (Texas) Atascocita according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 95 overall prospect in the state, the No. 34 tight end in the class and the No. 620 overall prospect in the class.
The Blue Devils got good news earlier this month when QB Darian Mensah announced he’d return for the 2026 season. After making the ACC title game this year, the hope is for more next fall.
Mensah, who transferred to the program from Tulane prior to the 2025 season, was remarkable for head coach Manny Diaz and the Blue Devils in his first season in Durham. Mensah’s 3,646 passing yards ranked fourth most in the country, while his 30 passing touchdowns ranked fifth most in the country.