Appearing on ACC PM, ESPN football analyst Louis Riddick stated that new Miami quarterback "Darian Mensah goes into the 2026 season as the Heisman Trophy favorite." Mensah finished second nationally with 3,973 passing yards in 2025.
Mensah is currently tied for sixth with Gunnar Stockton of Georgia, Sam Leavitt of LSU and Dante Moore of Oregon at +1500 on the 2026 FanDuel Sportsbook Heisman Trophy odds. Leavitt was one of the top transfer targets for Miami before deciding to transfer to LSU from Arizona State.
Leading Duke to the ACC Championship, Mensah completed 66.