Miami’s offense is built to move fast and hit hard, and ACC coaches already sound like they know the name that can make it all hum: Darian Mensah.
Mensah is entering his first season with the Hurricanes, but he’s not a new face to the conference. He already spent last year winning the ACC championship with Duke, which means plenty of coaches around the league have seen exactly what he can do when the pocket breaks down and the play is still alive.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg gathered quarterback intel from around college football this offseason, and one ACC coach’s take on Mensah jumped off the page:
"He's scary, because a lot of guys get outside of the pocket, and it's just sideline to checkdown, but he's throwing touchdowns. He can hurt you in a lot of ways."
That’s the kind of profile that fits Miami perfectly. Shannon Dawson wants an offense that can sling it, pile up yards and pile up points while showing off the Hurricanes’ deep group of playmakers. Mensah looks like the quarterback who can turn that vision into something much bigger.
He brings a lot of the same qualities Miami got from Cam Ward, but the setup around him is different now. In 2024, the offense often leaned on Ward to create everything, and even though that worked plenty of the time, it seemed like he wore down late.
Dawson then went in a more traditional pro-style direction with Carson Beck, asking Miami to run the ball to open things up and avoid putting too much on Beck’s arm. That plan fit because the Hurricanes had strong play on both lines.
Mensah gives Dawson another lane. He has the Ward-like tools, and now he’s working with more depth at running back and wide receiver to help the whole machine run. One ACC GM also praised how he handles the ball and the moment:
"He did a pretty good job of not taking bad sacks, but with his athleticism, his ability to deliver outside the pocket, his efficiency in getting the ball to his playmakers' hands, and he's just going to make the smart throw."
That combination is what makes Mensah such a dangerous fit for Miami. Even if the offensive line is a little behind where last year’s group was, at least early in the season, Mensah’s ability to escape, reset and still look downfield should keep defenses on edge.
So when Miami takes the field this fall, the tempo figures to be relentless and the scoring chances should come fast. With Mensah, Malachi Toney, Mark Fletcher Jr., Cooper Barkate and Jordan Lyle in the mix, the Hurricanes have the kind of firepower that can make a game feel like it’s moving at full speed.
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Now, after going undrafted and signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Orlando Magic, Reneau is pursuing the possibility of another college season following a recent court ruling that opened the door for certain athletes to regain eligibility. The move raises an intriguing question for Miami circles: if that path stays open, would the Hurricanes have a place for a player who already proved he can change the look of a team in one year? [Read more 🡒]