In-game experience and chemistry seem to matter the most in this new era of college football. With NIL leading the way, and the transfer portal being as wide-open as the Autobahn, being on the same page as everyone of your teammates has never been more important. While it took a painfully long time, former Duke stars Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate are finally on their way to Coral Gables!
Together, Mensah and Barkate helped Duke win the ACC this past season. Their on-field connection is one of the reasons the Blue Devils performed so well in conference play. Although Duke does have one of the better programs in the ACC, Miami is competing on a different level than them. Miami is playing for national championships, whereas Duke is hoping it can win the ACC once a generation...
So what we are going to do today is look at how this quarterback/wide receiver tandem of Mensah and Barkate compare to other notable teammates following each other across the sport. Having baked-in chemistry should certainly help these four pairings. However, we must keep in mind that each of them are coming from places with the expectations were not too high to the being elevated.
Let's start with a pairing making the move from a Group of Five school to a struggling SEC program.
4. Byrum Brown & Keshaun Singleton (South Florida -> Auburn)
Much of what made South Florida's recent rise to prominence so special under Alex Golesh was the great play of his star quarterback Byrum Brown. He helped the Bulls go from not winning many games at all, to being in the mix to win the Group of Five coming out of The American. One of the most notable pieces following him and Golesh to Auburn would be star wide receiver Keshaun Singleton.
Although they were able to move the sticks against many of the best defenses in the AAC, they will now be tasked with doing the same vs. SEC competition. This has been a decade to forget for Auburn. While Golesh mostly opted to bring his guys with him from Tampa, the mass exodus of talent leaving The Plains will have Auburn as maybe a borderline bowl team at best this year. It will be rough.
If Brown and Singleton's connection can translate, this could push Auburn closer to eight wins or so.
3. Rocco Becht & Chase Sowell (Iowa State -> Penn State)
No doubt about it, Rocco Becht is going to be a massive upgrade at quarterback for Penn State over Drew Allar. What he may lack in talent he makes up for in-game experience. He is one of the many former Iowa State players following Matt Campbell from Ames to State College. Campbell did take Iowa State to new heights in recent years, but there was always a finite ceiling with that particular job.
Joining them in Happy Valley will be wide receiver Chase Sowell. While he should help elevate the Nittany Lions' passing game on a bigger stage, they are really going from one relative equivalent to another. For as good as Iowa State can be in a season, it may be the second or third best team in the Big 12. The same has been true for Penn State in recent years. This is merely a bigger stage for them.
Becht and Sowell will have success playing for Campbell at Penn State, but do not bank on the CFP...
2. Drew Mestemaker & Wyatt Young (North Texas -> Oklahoma State)
In terms of overall production and upside, it is hard to downplay Drew Mestemaker and Wyatt Young following Eric Morris from North Texas to Oklahoma State this offseason. UNT was one win away from earning the No. 11 seed in the College Football Playoff. Mestemaker went from being essentially a no-star recruit coming out of high school, to being one of the best players available in the transfer portal.
Young was an unstoppable force in The American last season. While they may have a longer runway than Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate coming over to Miami from Duke, have you seen how bad Oklahoma State became under Mike Gundy in the final years? The Pokes went from playing in a Big 12 Championship Game in 2023, to winning a combined four games over the last two season, folks...
Oklahoma State will be exponentially better in 2026, but there will be growing pains along the way.
1. Darian Mensah & Cooper Barkate (Duke -> Miami)
Of course, it had to be Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate atop this list. Not only was their transferring in-tandem the most high-profile of these four pairings, but they also are going to the best team. While Auburn, Oklahoma State, and Penn State were all varying degrees of disaster, Miami just played in a national championship. Moreover, this tandem just won an ACC crown in the same league.
So what we are getting at is this... Miami is adding arguably the two best players off ACC champion Duke in the transfer portal to help the Canes go on another College Football Playoff run. Yes, they will be under a major magnifying glass this season for their decisions to leave in the portal this late, as well as with the hold-up on Mensah coming to Miami. Frankly, they might be build for this kind of hype.
Together, Mensah and Barkate might be the reason Miami wins its first ACC Championship to date.