Josh Pate’s latest quarterback rankings gave Miami fans a clean reason to smile, and he didn’t bury the lede on who he believes is No. 1.
Pate placed Darian Mensah at the top of his preseason QB list, a ranking he said was built around expected production this season rather than past résumé or reputation. He has already been one of the analysts most bullish on Mensah, and he has even pushed the Miami quarterback into the Heisman discussion.
That optimism has a real spotlight attached to it, because Mensah is arriving in Coral Gables with more buzz than Carson Beck had last offseason. Beck’s situation came with its own baggage - he was recovering from injury and had just thrown a pile of interceptions the year before at Georgia - but Mensah’s pressure is being framed as something different and, in this case, even more intense. He comes over from Duke carrying a huge set of expectations.
Miami, though, looks built to help him handle it. Cooper Barkate is back with him after following him from Duke, Mark Fletcher returns in the backfield, and Malachi Toney is coming off what Pate called a historic freshman season. The offensive line is the one spot that could need some early-season patience, with the Canes expected to start two freshmen there, but Pate expects Alex Mirabal and Mario Cristobal to get that group into good shape by midseason.
Pate’s full top 10 also featured Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss, CJ Carr at Notre Dame, Julian Sayin at Ohio State, Dante Moore at Oregon, Arch Manning at Texas, Josh Hoover at Indiana, Jayden Maiava at USC, John Mateer at Oklahoma and Drew Mestemaker at Oklahoma State.
For Miami fans, the headline is simple: Mensah is getting treated like a star before the season even begins. The bigger picture from Pate’s list is just as striking. He said it also works as a projection for the 2027 NFL Draft, with four or even five of those quarterbacks potentially going in the first round.
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The good news for the Buccaneers is that the injury has been described as nothing serious, and Bain is expected to be ready for Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Still, head coach Todd Bowles held him out of practice as a precaution, which is enough to keep Miami fans and Bucs watchers attentive to how the rookie responds once he gets back on the field. [Read more 🡒]