Mensah talks how success of Ward, Beck persuaded him to transfer

Darian Mensah. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

QB Darian Mensah discusses how success of Cam Ward, Carson Beck persuaded him to transfer to Miami

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jul 15, 2026 5:22 PM ET

Former Duke Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah joined the Miami Hurricanes this offseason. A huge paycheck isn't the only reason he transferred.

The Hurricanes paid big money to lure the QB to Miami. Mensah, 21, is reportedly set to make $6.5M in NIL (name, image and likeness) deals in 2026, making him the highest-paid athlete in college sports. This includes a partnership with Derby Watch Supply, a luxury watch dealer.

The money and the bling are great, but if it's the only thing the Hurricanes offered, Mensah may have gone elsewhere. He clearly wanted to start for a program that could win a national championship and send him to the NFL. Miami checks both of those boxes.

Darian Mensah speaks on transferring to Miami

"That was a huge factor, deciding to transfer, seeing what those guys did," Mensah said Wednesday at ACC Media Days in Charlotte when asked about the success of previous Miami transfer QBs Cam Ward and Carson Beck (h/t On3's Brett McMurphy). "My [offensive coordinator Shannon] Dawson will form the offense around the quarterback, around the stuff he likes to do. That also made it something I wanted to be part of."

Miami QB Darian Mensah on following Cam Ward & Carson Beck to UM: "That was a huge factor, deciding to transfer, seeing what those guys did. My OC (Shannon) Dawson will form the offense around the quarterback, around the stuff he likes to do. That also made it something I wanted…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 15, 2026

Dawson maximized Ward's and Beck's skills, significantly improving their NFL prospects. Ward (a former Washington State Cougars standout) starred for the Hurricanes in 2024, throwing an FBS-leading 39 touchdown passes and winning the Davey O'Brien Award as the best QB in college football. The Tennessee Titans selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Former Georgia Bulldogs standout Beck wasn't as productive as Ward, but he threw a career-high 30 TD passes and led Miami to the National Championship Game. The Hurricanes lost that contest to the Indiana Hoosiers 27-21, but the Arizona Cardinals still took Beck with pick No. 65 in the third round of the 2026 draft.

Mensah may be more developed than Ward and Beck were. Last season, he ranked second in the nation in passing yards (3,973) and tied for second in touchdown passes (34). In its updated mock, Tankathon has the Minnesota Vikings grabbing him with pick No. 14.

Adding the talented QB should keep Miami in the thick of the national championship hunt next season. As of Wednesday, ESPN's Football Power Index ranks the Hurricanes as the No. 7 team in the country.

Let's not kid ourselves, money factored in Mensah's decision. However, it's not the only thing that sold him on Miami.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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