Duke University quarterback Darian Mensah has managed to speed up the legal case that currently has him blocked from transferring to another school to play football.
An attorney for Mensah filed an emergency motion in North Carolina’s Durham County Superior Court seeking a judge to “reconsider” the temporary restraining order granted to the school that prohibits Mensah from enrolling elsewhere. That TRO sought by Duke runs through the next scheduled hearing in the case, but Mensah’s request argued that enrollment deadlines for other schools expire as early as Friday.
“Consequently, the TRO Order becomes more than ‘temporary,’ as it could permanently foreclose opportunities for Mensah to enroll at other collegiate institutions,” the motion states.
Additionally, Mensah’s motion sought to reschedule the Feb. 2 hearing date to Friday if a judge didn’t reconsider the temporary restraining order. Ultimately, that next hearing was moved up four days to next Thursday, Jan. 29, according to the state’s online courts portal.
The school filed its lawsuit Monday in Durham County Superior Court, pointing to terms in the two-season contract Mensah signed with Duke for payments tied to his name, image and likeness rights in college football through 2026. Duke’s complaint came three days after Mensah reversed his previously announced plan to return to the Blue Devils after leading them to the Atlantic Coast Conference title this past season.