sports
Darian Mensah and Duke Settle Contract Dispute, Clearing Transfer to Miami
Darian Mensah left Duke for Miami after a court settlement cleared his path. The move followed disputes over his two-year contract and pay. He will face his former team on November 14.
Jul 19, 2:44 PM·1m read1 source
profootballtalk.nbcsports.comAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
Darian Mensah transferred to Miami after Duke and the quarterback settled their contract dispute in court. cbssports.com reported that Mensah entered the transfer portal just before it closed in January, leaving Duke without its starting quarterback for the second and final year of his deal. Mensah told ESPN at ACC Media Days that his $4 million salary created friction at Duke.
Teammates noted he earned more than players with longer tenure. He said the Miami locker room feels like family with no such issues. Mensah attributed the move to Miami's roster and national championship aspirations rather than money.
His mother and manager, Naomi Mensah, told Yahoo that pay was available at either school. Last season Mensah led the ACC with 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns while guiding Duke to the conference title. Duke coach Manny Diaz called the departure surprising.
He declined to confirm tampering claims against Miami and stressed that the issue centered on honoring the contract. Tight end Jeremiah Halsey said Mensah's pay created no locker-room problem. Duke signed San Jose State transfer Walker Eget to replace Mensah.
Eget completed 59 percent of his passes for 3,051 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2025 while recovering from a 2024 ACL injury. Miami hosts Duke at Hard Rock Stadium on November 14.
