All-ACC receiver Cooper Barkate joins forces with quarterback Darian Mensah, aiming to reignite Miami Hurricanes' championship aspirations and conquer the Atlantic Coast Conference.
As spring practices come to an end, the Miami Hurricanes have begun to establish chemistry with several new players, including Cooper Barkate. He’s coming off an electrifying season, earning Second Team All-ACC honors: catching 72 passes for 1,106 yards, scoring seven touchdowns and starting in all 14 games.
The 23-year-old entered the transfer portal alongside quarterback and teammate Darian Mensah. The connection between them on the field is expected to translate from North Carolina to South Florida. Barkate described the process of moving from one program to another, especially towards the end of the window.
“They made it an easy transition for me,” he said. “It was a little difficult learning the new system; there’s a lot of ballplayers down here, that was a little difficult to adjust to in the beginning. I’ve loved it, loved all the people, places, coaches, it’s been great.”
Barkate played a significant role in the Blue Devils winning the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship, the first since 1989. However, the Hurricanes were the lone ACC representatives in the College Football Playoffs, reaching the National Championship.
The program seeks to remain competitive after a historic turnaround, revamping the roster on both sides of the field, especially with the additions of Mensah and Barkate. The All-ACC quarterback orchestrated the idea of joining the Hurricanes before the transfer portal window had closed.
“Me and Darian were definitely communicating a little bit through it,” Barkate added. “He was thinking of making the move and he wanted to let me know first. Once he did, then I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ I hopped in the portal and then Miami was able to contact me after I got in the portal. From there, it kind of just hit the fan, we came down here, and then things started rolling.”
The Hurricanes have two ACC wide receivers to finish with over 1,000 receiving yards from last season.
Mensah becomes the third consecutive top-market transfer portal quarterback to join the program, with Cam Ward and Carson Beck coming before him. The 21-year-old is expected to be the best version of the two and deliver another run in the College Football Playoffs. Barkate experienced first-hand what it’s like to have Mensah at the helm of the offense.
“On the field, the first thing I’d say is how poised he [Mensah] is,” Barkate said. “He’s always calm and collected in the big moments and really any game. That’s probably the biggest thing and obviously, his athletic talent.”
The Hurricanes are the early favorites to win the ACC title and return to the College Football Playoffs. Given all the significant talent on the roster, it’s certainly more than possible.
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