Miami quarterback Darian Mensah was shown in a video posted by big Hurricanes fan GrantReacts1 on X discussing his will to win this season. Mensah stated Miami is getting a winner with him, that he has a big chip on his shoulder and he wants to prove everybody wrong and prove himself right.
Mensah was the 16th overall transfer and sixth QB in the 2026 portal per the 247Sports Transfer Rankings. Miami signed a transfer QB for the third consecutive offseason. Cam Ward became a Heisman Trophy Finalist and first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after transferring from Washington State in 2024.
Carson Beck led Miami within one drive of a National Championship after the Hurricanes pulled three consecutive upsets in the College Football Playoff this past season. Miami had to enter the Transfer Portal to sign Mensah, with almost no experience behind him at QB entering the 2026 season.
As a high school prospect from San Luis Obispo, California, St. Joseph, Mensah was the 2,672nd-ranked player overall, 161st QB and 383rd in California in the 2023 class. Tulane beat out Arizona State, Boise State, San Jose State and San Diego State for Mensah, per his 247Sports recruiting profile.
"Miami is getting a winner out of me" -Darian Mensah pic.twitter.com/6lwl2TtI7Y
— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) March 29, 2026
"Miami is getting a winner with me. I got a big chip on my shoulder. Been under recruited my whole life. Was the underdog. Go out there and prove everybody wrong and prove myself right. "Miami quarterback Darian Mensah
Miami is getting a winner with Mensah
In his only season with Tulane in 2024, Mensah led the Green Wave to a 9-5 overall record and 7-1 in the American Athletic Conference. Mensah completed 65.9 percent of his pass attempts for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran 60 times for 132 yards and another score with Tulane in 2024.
With Mensah as the QB, Duke won its first ACC Championship since 1989 when Steve Spurrier was the head coach. Duke upset 17th-ranked Virginia, 27-20 in overtime to win the ACC Championship and cost the Cavaliers a College Football Playoff berth.
Mensah completed 66.8 percent of his pass attempts for 3,973 yards, 34 TD and six interceptions in 2025 with one rushing TD. Mensah will have some familiarity as the Miami QB. Cooper Barkate, who led Duke with 72 receptions for 1,106 yards and seven TDs in 2025, also transferred to Miami.
Barkate and Malachi Toney, who led the ACC with 109 receptions for 1,211 receiving yards and 10 TDs in 2025, are the top two returning receivers in the conference in 2025 in terms of yards. Playing in the Shannon Dawson offense and being able to throw to Barkate and Toney, Mensah should definitely prove his haters wrong in 2026.