No. 7 Miami heads into Thursday night with two names grabbing the spotlight and the Hurricanes leaning hard into their latest trophy chase.
Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney are the headline acts for Miami as it welcomes Florida A&M for a prime-time home game, and both quarterbacks and receivers have already given the Hurricanes plenty to talk about. Toney opened the season with a school single-game record, piling up 234 receiving yards on 12 catches in a 45-6 win over Stanford. He found the end zone three times and celebrated each touchdown catch with Heisman Trophy poses.
Mensah may be the bigger early Heisman story, though. In his debut as Carson Beck’s replacement, he looked every bit like a quarterback built for the moment, throwing for 401 yards, completing 27 of 30 passes and accounting for five touchdowns. Miami coach Mario Cristobal didn’t waste time explaining what stood out.
"Energy and urgency," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of what makes Mensah so efficient. "Complete command of the offense.
Great pocket presence. The ball was out quick, on target, extremely accurate.
Everything was just a guy that's very well prepared."
Mensah’s performance fit the recent Miami trend at quarterback, following the path set by Cam Ward and Beck.
Still, the opener wasn’t flawless. Miami ran for 121 yards against Stanford, but Mark Fletcher managed just 40, and Cristobal wants more production from the ground game. The defense held Stanford out of the end zone, but it also gave up 221 passing yards.
The Hurricanes did get a useful bonus from the opener by playing 13 freshmen from their 2026 recruiting class, and that experience could matter again this week. Miami may also be without cornerbacks O.J. Frederique and Ja'Boree Antoine for an extended stretch because of injuries.
Florida A&M arrives with a quick turnaround after a rough outing of its own. The Rattlers are 1-1 and coming off a 31-13 loss to South Carolina State in Sunday’s Orange Blossom Classic, played after a two-hour weather delay at Hard Rock Stadium.
FAMU never found a groove offensively. South Carolina State ran for 292 yards and finished with 479 yards overall, while Florida A&M was held to minus-1 yard on the ground and 161 total yards.
Isaiah Knowles started at quarterback but struggled, completing 7 of 22 passes for 94 yards before Dustin Fletcher took over and went 6 of 8 for 68 yards. The Rattlers also absorbed five sacks, and their only touchdown came on Justin Bostic’s 80-yard interception return.
"It's just the process for us. Just coming in every day, focusing on little things, from the start of practice to the end," Fletcher said.
"And it's just making plays out of there to be made. There were plays, we left out there on the field.
We got the talent and the role. We just gotta go make plays, clean up new stuff."
Miami and Florida A&M will meet for the 13th time, with the Hurricanes holding an 11-1 lead in the series.
In Other News...
Former Miami CB D'Yoni Hill Lands In A Strange New Situation
DYoni Hills football path has already taken him from Marshall to Miami and then Wisconsin, and now he is set for another stop, with Oklahoma planning to add the veteran cornerback as a midseason transfer. Hill has experience starting games at both Miami and Wisconsin, which gives him the kind of rsum teams look for when they need help in a hurry, even if his role this time is expected to be more about depth than jumping straight into the lineup.
For Miami fans, the odd part is not just the new destination, but the timing and the larger question hanging over his career. Hill is also tied up in a lawsuit seeking an additional year of eligibility, so the move to Oklahoma comes with another layer of uncertainty beyond simply getting cleared to join the roster. If the process goes through, it would give Oklahoma a seasoned defensive back with a familiar track record, but the full shape of his next chapter is still far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Miami May Have Found A Freshman Defender Ready For More
Miamis defense got a closer look at true freshman J.J. Dunnigan in his college debut against Stanford, and the early signs were encouraging. Dunnigan logged 33 snaps and finished with a tackle for loss, a useful first impression for a player who arrived as a four-star recruit in the 2026 class and picked the Hurricanes over several other programs.
Mario Cristobal and defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman both singled out Dunnigans physical traits and versatility, which is usually the kind of praise that matters most when a young defensive back is trying to earn more than a cameo. The intriguing part for Miami is how he might fit moving forward, since the staff sees him as someone who can line up in more than one spot and potentially give the secondary another piece to work with sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobal Just Sent A Message About Miamis Most Hyped Newcomers
Damon Wilson II and Jackson Cantwell arrived in Coral Gables with plenty of buzz, but Miami opened the 2026 season by easing both into backup roles rather than handing them jobs on reputation alone. Wilson worked 44 snaps as a second-team edge rusher, while Cantwell logged 34 snaps at right guard behind starter Max Buchanan, a reminder that the Hurricanes are still sorting out the depth chart even for some of their most talked-about newcomers.
Mario Cristobal has made the message plain: nothing is promised, and young players have to earn their way onto the field. For Miami, that approach may be the point, especially with a roster built around development as much as immediate impact. The early usage of Wilson and Cantwell suggests the Hurricanes are willing to be patient, even with players many expected to push for bigger roles right away. [Read more 🡒]