The Miami Hurricanes have not played a single down yet in 2026, but the debate over their quarterback room is already heating up. Ahead of the season opener against Stanford, ESPN analyst Josh Pate made his position clear: Miami upgraded at quarterback when Darian Mensah took over for Carson Beck.
“All due respect to Carson Beck, I think they upgraded at quarterback with Darian Mensah,” Pate said during a segment on ESPN’s “Bussin’ and Pate.” He did not stop there. The analyst went on to praise the depth around Mensah, noting that practices in Coral Gables feature talent that often leaves observers asking “Who’s that dude?” Pate singled out freshman receiver Malachi Toney as a potential superstar in a crowded ACC.
Mensah arrives in Miami after a standout season at Duke, where he led the ACC with 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns, completing 66.8 percent of his throws. The Blue Devils signal-caller entered the transfer portal and chose the Hurricanes, stepping into a program that has become accustomed to high-level quarterback play.
His predecessor set a high bar. Beck, who transferred to Miami after years at Georgia, finished his lone season with the Hurricanes by throwing for 3,813 yards and 30 scores, completing an ACC-best 72.4 percent of his passes. He declared for the NFL draft and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round.
Pate’s comments suggest that even with those numbers, Miami’s offense might be more dangerous now. He called Mensah an upgrade while pointing to the team’s overall personnel. “I love the fact that there were a couple thousand plus receivers around the ACC last year, and one of them was Malachi Toney,” Pate said. The implication is clear: Mensah has the tools and the supporting cast to keep the Hurricanes in contention.
