There is a new Mendoza line in sports activities and in contrast to the one in baseball, which signifies awful offense, this one is all about profitable: Everyone desires the next Fernando Mendoza.
The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback’s gorgeous success at Indiana has upped the premium on transfer quarterbacks. The inevitable capitalistic evolution of the House settlement that allowed for the paying of athletes assured there could be winners and losers, and the winners are – no shock – the signal-callers.
That is what is on the root of the lawsuit filed by Duke University in opposition to its quarterback, Darian Mensah. The college is attempting to dam its second-team All-ACC QB from entering the transfer portal, going to date as to file swimsuit within the Durham County Superior Court to forestall it. The college argues “contracts imply one thing,’’ and that it had paid Mensah for exclusive rights to his NIL.
The college requested for a brief restraining order to dam him from leaving till the 2 sides may undergo arbitration as the contract outlined.
Ruling from the bench, a choose denied Duke’s request however that solely means Mensah can enter the portal; he is not free to really enroll in one other college till the matter is settled. The listening to is presently scheduled for early February. Mensah’s attorneys need that date moved up.
“Mr. Mensah has an existing contract with Duke which the university intends to honor, and we expect he will do the same,” a Duke Athletics spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to NCS Sports. “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.”
Like loads of messy divorces, this began with a wandering eye, a lover scorned and boils all the way down to the cash.
Just final month, Mensah pledged his loyalty to Duke in a heartfelt Instagram put up that ended, “I wouldn’t commerce any of it for the world.’’ And after beating Arizona State within the Sun Bowl, he mentioned of his broad receiver Que’Sean Brown, “I wouldn’t need to do that with anybody else.’’
Until another person got here alongside.
From the lawsuit: “Under the NCAA rules and regulations, other schools may not contact student-athlete, directly or indirectly, until the student-athlete has entered the transfer portal. At 2:07 p.m. ET on Friday, January 16, 2026, sports media reports began to circulate that Mensah was considering entering the portal and was being offered purported ‘buyout’ of his contract with Duke University.”
Translation: “Someone else dangled some more cash in front of our quarterback.” The alleged suitor, in keeping with the lawsuit, is Miami, which provides a bit spice to issues. The Hurricanes aren’t merely an ACC rival for Duke. Miami additionally pushed now Duke head coach Manny Diaz out after three years as its head coach to make method for Mario Cristobal.
But Miami doesn’t need to take Mensah to mess with Duke for funsies any greater than Duke desires to maintain Mensah to stay it to Miami. Mensah threw for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns. That’s what this is about.
Mensah is simply the newest quarterback becoming a member of the new dance craze in college soccer: The QB Shuffle. According to On3’s online database: Josh Hoover is headed from TCU to Indiana, which suggests Hoosier backup Alberto Mendoza is headed to Georgia Tech, the place the Yellow Jackets wanted a QB after Aaron Philo, their backup to the graduating Haynes King, left for Florida, which had misplaced its quarterback, DJ Lagway, to Baylor, to finish the Texas-to-Texas cycle.
In this case, Carson Beck is out of eligibility at Miami. The Hurricanes tried to persuade Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson to skip the NFL draft and are available play for the Hurricanes. He declined, in order that they want somebody – ideally somebody good.
Duke, within the meantime, understandably, want to hold the person who led the Blue Devils to their first ACC title since 1962. Plus, their backup, Henry Belin IV left for Missouri State and with the January portal window closed, they don’t actually have a Plan B.
As his group was prepping to play for the nationwide title this weekend, Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich took time to speak free market worth to a cluster of reporters.
“We’ve by no means been in a position to ‘rule’ ourselves into aggressive equality,’’ he mentioned to Sports Illustrated. “Schools are going to speculate in another way. I actually assume we may go across the mulberry bush for an terrible very long time, but when we simply let market forces work, I feel over a time frame we’d get stage water right here.’’
Miami reportedly supplied Simpson $6.5 million to eschew going professional. Odds are the varsity supplied Mensah greater than he was making at Duke and regardless of how loyal he could be, everybody has a bit little bit of Rod Tidwell in him: Show me the cash.
So right here we’re.
The query is: Where will we go?
The foundation of Duke’s argument, centering round its lawsuit, is hardly invalid. There is a signed contract. No doubt it is additionally music to the ears of many a coach and administrator in college athletics. Plenty have fumed that, whereas they don’t begrudge their athletes creating wealth, they fail to know why the offers aren’t enforceable.
The concept of the transfer portal started largely as a response to the NCAA guidelines that permit coaches go away with out impunity however compelled athletes to take a seat out. Coaches and faculties, nonetheless, are beholden to their offers. They can’t simply stroll away with out at the very least some form of monetary penalty. Schools sometimes have been reticent to push again when gamers ask to go away, fearing each the unhealthy look and lawsuits to come back.
But the Mensah mess comes simply weeks after Demond Williams introduced his intentions to go away Washington, with all indicators suggesting a reported relocation to Baton Rouge and Lane Kiffin.
Forty-eight hours later, Williams had a change of coronary heart: “After thoughtful reflection with my family, I am excited to announce that I will continue my football journey at the University of Washington.”
In between, his agent give up on him and Washington threatened to sue over his contract, according to ESPN.
Perhaps, then, the tide could activate implementing NIL contracts. The quarterback shuffle, although, continues.
Just yesterday, in keeping with the On3 database, Miami quarterback Emory Williams put his title within the portal.