The Miami Hurricanes proved why they could have two legitimate Heisman contenders this season in their season opener against Stanford.
Last year, Miami made it all the way to the National Championship, where they were defeated by an Indiana Hoosiers team on a warpath, headlined by Heisman winning quarterback and eventual No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza.
But with Carson Beck in the NFL, and much of last year’s top-ranked defense on pro rosters as well, the Hurricanes turned the chapter to quarterback Darian Mensah, the transfer quarterback who impressed at Tulane and Duke, proving worthy of this massive opportunity.
Mensah’s debut for the Hurricanes was damn near perfect. He completed 27-of-30 passes for 400 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. The Heisman isn’t awarded after Week 1. Especially not after Friday night, before a full slate of Saturday games had been played. But Mensah’s explosion during his Miami debut proved how serious the Canes will be this year and adds another viable first-round quarterback option for the 2027 NFL Draft.
Not to bury the lede, as we said two Heisman contenders, remember?
Wide receiver Malachi Toney got a taste of life in college football last season, after the 17-year-old reclassified to join Miami. But his 18-year-old season debut was bonkers. Toney caught 12 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He counted for over half of Mensah’s passing yards and scored three of the five touchdowns.
What this duo proved for Miami heading into 2026
This brilliant performance from the new superstar quarterback and receiver duo in South Beach earned the Hurricanes a big 45-6 victory over Stanford. But more importantly, it showcased that Miami will remain a serious contender in the ACC, but also in the wider college football conversation.
Miami was ranked No. 7 in the nation heading into Week 1. Depending on how the top six ranked teams look in their openers, there’s plenty of room for the Hurricanes to ascend over the course of a long season, especially if Mensah and Toney can keep this up. While Stanford isn’t world beaters, the Hurricanes have a lighter schedule throughout September and October ahead of their November 4 matchup with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
That’ll be a great test for Mensah against a quality defense, and will be fun to see how he handles himself in a highly-anticipated quarterback matchup against Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, who is another Heisman contender and first-round candidate.
The real winner last night? NFL teams that need a quarterback. Of course, much of this college football discourse will surround Arch Manning and Dante Moore. Even LaNorris Sellers, Julian Sayin and Carr will have opportunities to build on what they started last year. But options like Mensah emerging is the best-case scenario for the game of football, especially because the last few draft classes have been so thin on legitimate franchise quarterback options.
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