A former Saint Joseph High School quarterback from Santa Maria is making national headlines as Duke University takes legal action to prevent him from transferring.
Duke filed a lawsuit against star quarterback Darian Mensah, seeking to block him from entering the NCAA transfer portal.
The university argues it paid Mensah for exclusive rights to his name, image and likeness, creating a binding agreement.
In the lawsuit, Duke requested a judge block Mensah from leaving the program until both sides could resolve the dispute through arbitration, as specified in their contract.
However, a judge denied Duke's request for an injunction. This decision allows Mensah to enter the transfer portal, but he cannot actually enroll at another school until the legal matter is resolved.
According to court documents, Duke's ACC rival, the University of Miami, is actively pursuing Mensah as a transfer target.
