Why J.D. PicKell Believes Darian Mensah Will Thrive at Miami

Expectations are sky-high for Miami Hurricanes QB Darian Mensah after he led Duke to the ACC title a year ago with 34 TD passes and six interceptions in 14 games. Heck, common sense alone would seem to dictate much bigger numbers this year in a stacked Miami offense that had the nation’s top attack two years ago with Cam Ward before settling down at No. 35 a year ago when Carson Beck was steering a ship that was led by a punishing run game and nation’s No. 5 defense.

The hype building around Mensah is real. Bleacher Report recently projected him as the No. 1 NFL Draft pick in 2027. ESPN’s Louis Riddick says he thinks Mensah is the Heisman Trophy favorite.

Into that backdrop arrives On3’s J.D. PicKell with his perspective.

PicKell said on the Hard Count he thinks Mensah “will have a Mt. Rushmore type season for what Miami quarterbacks have done historically.”

“Based on numbers I believe Darian Mensah will be top 2 when it comes to what a Miami quarterback has done in a single season,” PicKell said. “Cam Ward has the best single season by the numbers of any Miami quarterback in history. Threw for 4,300 yards, 39 touchdowns. Bernie Kosar before that held the (Miami) record for passing yards in a single season. He threw for 3,600 yards and 25 touchdowns. So my feeling on this is the way Miami is going to play offensively, what they have at their disposal with Darian Mensah, I feel he’ll be behind Cam Ward but in front of Bernie Kosar to be specific here. … Last year Mensah threw for 3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns. And he will have more around him, more balance. By my estimation he will have a play caller (Shannon Dawson) that is more to his skillset being from that Air Raid background. Throwing for 3,600 yards isn’t asking all that much. How much past that remains to be seen. But it’s really hard for me to see him take a massive step back from a season ago at Duke with more talent around him. That doesn’t compute to me. … Better coordinator, more weapons (and) his favorite receiver from Duke has followed him in Cooper Barkate.”

PicKell doesn’t tackle where Mensah fits in vs. the numbers Carson Beck put up last year – 3,813 yards and 30 TD passes. But it’s not all about numbers. PicKell mentions how Vinny Testaverde won the Heisman and Ken Dorsey was a Heisman finalist and won a national title while Kosar won a national title and was top 5 in Heisman voting.

“You see where I’m going with this?” PicKell says, stressing a great year by Mensah will solid Miami as a quarterback destination in modern college football. “Even Cam Ward checks this box. Because they didn’t win anything when he was there when it comes to accolades, but look at Cam Ward – there should be a note in how he changed the trajectory of Miami football. … there is no 2025 (run to the title game) without what Cam Ward did in 2024. There is no Carson Beck hitting the portal and going to Miami if Cam Ward doesn’t go absolutely berserk in 2024 and change the internal temperature of that place. Because there was a disconnect at what Mario Cristobal wanted Miami to be at a cultural level, what the staff wanted and what that locker room wanted.

“Until a person in your locker room takes the mantle, says `Here’s how we’re going to do things,’ it’s all for naught. So Cam Ward being that guy changed (the program).”

And yes, PicKell says he has a pick in on Mensah winning the Heisman.

“Now, will that be our official prediction when it comes time to call a shot remains to be seen, but I feel pretty good about the value,” PicKell said. “It’s going to be a home run derby for him and the Miami offense until Nov. 7 when they play Notre Dame. You beat Notre Dame and okay, now we’re looking at Miami and Darian Mensah as one of those top tier teams in the country, looking at Mensah as a guy that has a Heisman moment more than likely on his resume. You crescendo that season with an ACC victory before the Heisman voting? I think that’s a pretty workable path. Also say he wins the ACC championship – Miami has never won the ACC. So if Darian Mensah was the guy to bring that ACC title to Coral Gables, that would be something for how he’s remembered at Miami.”

A final takeaway from PicKell? He says Mensah has a chance to “solidify Miami’s status as Tier 1 of the college football world.” On the flip side, he says a slide by Miami this year will bring back all those folks questioning if Mario Cristobal can win at the highest level and make Miami a sustainably high-level program.

With a massive season, though, PicKell says “the flood gates are open for the next generation of guys that want to be Miami Hurricanes.”

“I think we’re kidding ourselves if we look at this team, what they got in the portal, who they bring back, how close they were last year – I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, understand what they had in the college football playoff (last year), the style of games they had to play are night and day different,” he said. “Last year you were hoping and praying Carson Beck would make good decisions and you wouldn’t have to depend too much on your quarterback. You’re not saying that this year. You’re saying `Darian Mensah, go cook. You go win us these playoff games, man. We like our roster, love our QB.’ You weren’t saying that last year. So this year we’re kidding ourselves if we don’t think a national title is in play for Miami.”