The situation between Duke and quarterback Darian Mensah will remain in the news. The matter is now a legal one. With so many moving parts, a legal expert weighed in to provide clarity.
Sports Lawyer Outlines Potential Resolution in Darian Mensah Case
Mensah left Duke and entered the transfer portal. Under normal circumstances, that seems like a normal occurrence. However, the university is suing the redshirt sophomore. Mensah left Tulane in 2024, signing a two-year, $8 million deal to join the Blue Devils. While playing his first season in the ACC, Mensah helmed the No. 16 offense, according to PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact Rankings.
Basically, outside of leaving school to enter the NFL draft, the school believes the contract keeps Mensah in Durham to play for the school for one more year. Attorney Tom Mars opined on social media.
“I would expect the judge to issue a preliminary injunction to preserve the status quo and order the parties to submit briefing on the enforceability of the agreement, in which case Mensah is screwed either way: either the agreement is enforceable or he is permanently enjoined.”
In other words, Mars believes that the judge will side with Duke. Basically, preserving the status quo means that Mensah stays put for now while both sides submit their reasons for why he should either stay or go. For right now, Mars believes that Duke wins the first round, keeping Mensah out of the portal, at least temporarily.
He believes the onus resides with Mensah’s legal team to prove that he should be able to leave. Meanwhile, Duke, in effect, possesses a contract, signed under no duress.
Meanwhile, Mars himself has his own battle with the process. He represents Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss would like to play one more year of college football. His reasoning is that he redshirted in 2022 while playing at Ferris State.
That season, Chambliss suffered a respiratory illness that required surgery. Chambliss believes that redshirts should be allowed to become medical redshirts, opening the door to an extra year.
MORE: Miami Target Darian Mensah Faces Legal Uncertainty as Duke Sues $4,000,000 Transfer Portal QB
The court will decide Mensah’s immediate and long-term fate. The NFL’s draft deadline of January 14 passed, leaving Mensah with basically two avenues. If the court grants his release and the quarterback immediately finds a home, would Duke pursue a tampering case?
When Mensah entered the portal, or at least attempted to, he did so with a no-contact order, preferring that schools not reach out. Traditionally, that means that he already knows where he is going. With a contract that could be construed as tampering.
The Mensah case stands out because, if the decision falls in the player’s favor, it could invalidate contracts if a player wants to leave. Conversely, if the judge favors Duke, that may solidify agreements and make contract-breaking more difficult.
