Darian Mensah reveals his NFL aspirations and the Miami Hurricanes' proven track record at developing elite quarterback talent, which influenced his ACC transfer.
The Miami Hurricanes arguably have the best transfer portal class in the nation, especially after signing quarterback Darian Mensah, who previously played with the Duke Blue Devils. For a third consecutive season, the program secured a top-market quarterback.
Despite the opportunity to win a National Championship, the 21-year-old explained the decision behind moving from one ACC program to another.
"Miami is going to take me to the place I want to go," he told On3. "Ultimately, the NFL. They've got NFL coaches. Coach [Shannon] Dawson, what he does with quarterbacks, his track record is pretty amazing, and it's something I wanted to be a part of."
Mensah is coming off a spectacular season: completing 334 of 500 passes, 66.8 percent, and throwing for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns. He led the Blue Devils to their first football ACC championship since 1989.
The Hurricanes helped build quarterback draft stock before, such as Cam Ward. After an All-American caliber season, he became the first pick in the 2025 draft.
They're projected to have three first-rounders this year in right tackle Francis Mauigoa, plus edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor.
One of the key factors in the Hurricanes' success this past season, which resulted in reaching the National Championship for the first time in over two decades, was the offensive line. Quarterback Carson Beck was one of the least pressured in the nation, which was intriguing to Mensah.
"The way coach [Mario] Cristobal protects quarterbacks," he added. "He's always going to have a solid O-line and then the weapons just all around the team and everyone that's a part of Miami. Seemed like it was a great fit for me."
The offensive line is arguably the biggest group in question for next season, given all the departures for the NFL, such as Mauigoa, Anez Cooper, Markel Bell, and James Brockermeyer.
However, some players will be ready take on bigger roles, such as Matthew McCoy, Samson Okunloka, plus the upcoming five-star freshman, Jackson Cantwell. Also, the Hurricanes signed offensive lineman Johnathan Clinche from the transfer portal, who previously played with the East Tennessee State Buccaneers.
Mensah could've declared for the upcoming draft, but decided to return to college football for another season, with an opportunity to raise and solidify his stock. He believes the Hurricanes are the best situation to achieve that.
"I want to make the NFL," the Second-Team All-ACC quarterback said. "I want to be a first-round pick and all signs point towards Miami. Miami's done it. If you watch what they do, they win. It's just something I wanted to be a part of. I've always bet on myself, and I always will."
"I've done it once, I'll do it again."
Mensah is viewed as an early favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and potentially help the Hurricanes carve out another National Championship run. It should be an exciting spring training.
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