BREAKING: Darian Mensah and Duke Settle Lawsuit

[ASFN Admin]

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This morning, as predicted, Duke settled its lawsuit with now former QB Darian Mensah.

Last Tuesday (1/20), Duke was able to obtain a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) preventing Mensah from enrolling at another institution because doing so would breach his Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Agreement. That TRO was set to expire on Thursday (1/29), when the parties were scheduled to have a Preliminary Injunction (PI) hearing. Had Duke won the PI hearing, Mensah may had been prevented from joining any other football program while an arbitration proceeding took place – a process that would have lasted months, certainly through the spring and probably through next season.

But this morning, the parties announced that they had settled their dispute.

Duke University Athletics and Darian Mensah have reached a resolution that enables both parties to move forward.

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…

— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) January 27, 2026

#YMAPAApic.twitter.com/BNlKicWCt0

— YM APAA Sports (@YMAPAAsports) January 27, 2026

Mensah is widely expected to enroll at University of Miami this week.

Also in the transfer portal, and expected to join Mensah in Miami, is WR Cooper Barkate who was Duke’s No. 1 WR last year and an All-ACC Second Team selection, recording 1,106 yds, 72 catches, and 7 TDs last season. Barkate transferred to Duke last season after playing three seasons at Harvard, graduating with a degree in economics.

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