ACC coaches echo why Darian Mensah is so scary in Miami's high-octane offense

What makes Miami quarterback Darian Mensah so good? Why not ask the coaches that have tried to stop him?

Mensah is going to be in his first year with the Miami Hurricanes, but he is going through the ACC for a second season after winning the conference championship with Duke last year. So, many coaches in the conference already have first-hand experience of what Mensah can do.

READ MORE: Miami QB Darian Mensah is a serious No. 1 overall pick candidate for the 2027 NFL Draft

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg's story credited one ACC coach with the following comments:

"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."

READ MORE: ACC preseason honors prove Darian Mensah is more Cam Ward than Carson Beck

Darian Mensah will unlock the full potential of Miami's offense

Shannon Dawson's offensive scheme can be many things to many people, but at the end of the day, he wants to sling the ball around the yard. He wants to put up a lot of yards, put up a lot of points and spotlight the Hurricanes' seemingly endless depth of playmakers. 

Mensah is the guy that can make it all happen. Cam Ward had similar traits and tools to Mensah, but the offense lacked true gamebreakers (all due respect to Xavier Restrepo) in 2024 and relied on Ward to make things happen. That had positive results most of the time, but it did seem like Ward ran out of gas at the end of the season.

Dawson opted for much more of a traditional pro-style look with Carson Beck. The Hurricanes had to run the ball to set up the pass and Dawson didn't want to overuse Beck's arm from game-to-game. Miami had tremendous play on the lines, so it worked.

READ MORE: Darian Mensah just confirmed Miami's quarterback pitch is working to perfection

But Mensah has the Ward-like tools and the depth of skill at running back and wide receiver to make it all go. And as another ACC GM pointed out, Mensah is also very smart with the football:

"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."

The offensive line probably will be a step behind where last year's line was, at least through the first few games of the season, but Mensah's ability to get outside the pocket and continue to look downfield for the big play will make defensive coordinators hold their breath.

So when you're watching Miami's offense on the field this season, don't blink, don't get up to grab a glass of your favorite beverage because it's going to be fast, and it's going to be explosive. With names like Darian Mensah, Malachi Toney, Mark Fletcher Jr., Cooper Barkate and Jordan Lyle on the field, the points are going to come quickly. 

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