Is A Conference Championship Winning Quarterback Being Underestimated This Season?
In this story:
All eyes are on Dante Moore, Arch Manning, LaNorris Sellers, Julian Sayin, and CJ Carr as they enter the 2026 college football season. Two are projected as high first-round picks, while there are still players talked about that could have awesome seasons ahead.
However, there is one named left off that list that is prepared to shine and play like the best quarterback in the country. Darian Mensah continues to be underrated heading into this season.
The first snap of the season is months away, but the offseason can go by quickly with this, though in mind: Mensah is a top-five quarterback and should be an early Heisman favorite this season.
The Hurricanes had a Heisman finalist two seasons ago in Cam Ward, but the bigger question is, will Mensah do more than what Ward did with the Hurricanes?
Ward was consistently the best quarterback in the country, but with a weak defense, his name couldn't shine where it truly belonged until he was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
This season, all signs point to it being the best offensive and defensive combination since the Canes Natinal Championship run in 2001.
When people say that Mensah is the perfect mix between Ward and recently drafted quarterback Carson Beck, it is not slighting one another. Ward had a better arm than Beck's; however, his big game experience surpassed Ward's.
The Hurricanes should have the ACC wrapped in the palm of their hands if everything goes right. Their schedule is not all over the place and won't hurt them in the long run, but they also have to win with Mensah.
Mensah led the ACC in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. He was also second in FBS in those stats. Some of those games were lost to defensive efforts and a lack of creativity on offense, yet he still helped the Canes from afar by beating Virginia in the ACC Championship game.
Now he prepares for a Heisman-level season as the new gunslinger for Miami. This season, he expects himself to play at an elite level and push himself into first-round conversations. Miami tried to get in the sweepstakes with other quarterbacks, but in the end, they got the best one on the market.
This is just the beginning of the star quarterback's time at Miami.
Follow all social media platforms to stay up to date with everything Miami Hurricanes-related: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube,and BlueSky.
Read More Miami Hurricanes News:
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
Follow Justice_News5