Darian Mensah is Miami’s starting quarterback and, after one weekend of the 2026 season, the Heisman Trophy favorite. He was a two star recruit with one FBS offer, has now played for three schools in three years, and opened this season by going 27 of 30 for 401 yards and five touchdowns at Stanford. This page carries his bio, his career numbers and a game by game log that updates all season.
| Full name | Darian Okoe Mensah |
| Born | January 25, 2005 (age 21) |
| Hometown | Central California coast; St. Joseph High School in Santa Maria |
| Size | 6 foot 3, 205 pounds |
| Path | Tulane 2023 and 2024, Duke 2025, Miami from 2026. Rated a two star prospect; Tulane was his only FBS scholarship offer |
| Contracts | Signed a reported two year, $8 million deal with Duke that reset the market at the position; his Miami deal has been reported around $6.5 million |
| Honors | Second team All ACC and AP ACC Newcomer of the Year in 2025; MVP of both the ACC Championship Game and the Sun Bowl; Davey O’Brien semifinalist |
2026 Game Log
| Date | Opponent | Result | Comp / Att | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 4 | at Stanford | W 45 to 6 | 27 / 30 | 401 | 5 | 0 |
Rows are added after each game. The full schedule with live scores is on Miami football score.
Career Stats
| Season | GS | Comp / Att | Pct | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Tulane | 0 | Redshirted | ||||
| 2024 Tulane | 13 | 189 / 287 | 65.9 | 2,723 | 22 | 6 |
| 2025 Duke | 14 | 334 / 500 | 66.8 | 3,973 | 34 | 6 |
| 2026 to date | 1 | 27 / 30 | 90.0 | 401 | 5 | 0 |
The Duke Lawsuit
Mensah entered the transfer portal after leading Duke to its first conference title since 1989, and Duke sued him to try to stop the move, arguing his contract bound him to the school. The case was settled, he was cleared to sign, and he committed to Miami. It is one of the first real tests of whether a college revenue sharing contract can hold a player in place.
The Short Version
Mensah redshirted at Tulane in 2023, won the job in 2024 and threw for 2,723 yards while taking the Green Wave to the American title game. At Duke in 2025 he started all 14 games, threw for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns against six interceptions, and broke the school single season records for passing yards and total touchdowns that had stood since Anthony Dilweg in 1988. He was MVP of the ACC Championship Game and then of the Sun Bowl, where he threw for 327 yards and four scores in a 42 to 39 win over Arizona State, the highest scoring Sun Bowl ever played. At Miami he replaces Carson Beck under Mario Cristobal.
Heisman Odds
Mensah opened the season around 11 to 1 or 12 to 1 and is now the outright favorite at about 11 to 2 after the Stanford game, the largest single move of opening weekend. His receiver Malachi Toney went for a school record 233 yards in the same game and jumped from 38 to 1 to 15 to 1. The knock on the price is that Heisman voters reward quarterbacks whose teams are still in the title race in December, so this one needs Miami to keep winning. The full board updates weekly on Heisman odds.
The Bottom Line
Darian Mensah is a 21 year old redshirt junior from the central California coast who had one FBS offer out of high school and is now the Heisman favorite at his third school. He has thrown for 6,696 yards with 56 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in two seasons as a starter, and he opened 2026 with a 27 of 30, 401 yard, five touchdown game. This page updates after every game.