Last season at Miami, we saw Carson Beck stop trying to be Superman. After Georgia, he managed his risks, aiming for safer, more effective plays. But that didn’t go well. However, now that Beck will play in the big leagues, the Hurricanes might just find the solution to this problem in his successor, Darian Mensah.

Former Miami QB Malik Rosier sat down with Miami insider Alex Donno and gave a thorough breakdown of what he likes about Mensah that other QBs, including Carson Beck, don’t.

“I am very excited to see what this guy can do,” Rosier said on the Locked on Canes podcast. “I tell a lot of my quarterbacks, I don’t need you to be crazy athletic or outrunning guys, but if you’re moving left, moving right, if you’re moving off platform, can you control your body and still throw an accurate pass?

Think that’s the one thing that he does really well. So when it is a little off platform, when things aren’t perfect, you have the ability to escape and make an off-platform throw. I think he does that very well.”

Scouting reports raved about Mensah’s “non-elite” but “live” arm, which allowed him to make accurate passes from different arm angles while moving. Take the game against Arizona State in the Sun Bowl. Mensah earned the Sun Bowl MVP honors, throwing for 327 yards and four TDs. In that game, a 75-yard deep ball and a touchdown pass to Kan Brown became the highlight play. A quick lateral adjustment turned the play into a display of Mensah’s physical prowess.

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That’s a skill not every quarterback has. Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza was described as mechanically sound. While he can throw well on the move with “solid body control,” Mendoza’s completion percentage dropped to 53.2% when forced off his original launch point. It’s the same story for Carson Beck.

The analysts consider the new projected Hurricanes starter to have more “juice” than Beck because of his superior arm talent and mobility. Beck had superior body control when he remained in one position. During that time, he posted a low 9.7% off-target rate and legit led the conference with a completion percentage as high as 74.7% during the regular season.

Beck’s struggles under pressure became a recurring theme, derailing Miami in key moments. Against Louisville, constant duress led to a career-high four interceptions. This pattern repeated in an overtime loss to SMU and culminated in a game-sealing interception that cost Miami a national title against Indiana.

With 44 seconds left on the clock, Miami was trailing with a 27-21 scoreline. At that very moment, Carson Beck took a risk that he shouldn’t have. Beck attempted a deep pass down the left sideline intended for receiver Keelan Marion. He launched the ball in a Cover 2 defense, but Marion never turned to look for it. Indiana DB Jamari Sharpe caught hold of the ball, leading the Hoosiers to win their first-ever national championship. Carson Beck completed that night at just 59.4%.

With Mensah representing a clear upgrade in improvisational playmaking, the pieces also seem to be falling into place around him to ensure a smooth transition to Coral Gables.

Darian Mensah set up for success in Miami

There is more promising news for the Hurricanes fans. Apart from the discussed fundamentals, Darian Mensah’s body control will improve further at Coral Gables for two main reasons. The former Duke QB is also getting a familiar face from his former school right beside him. His favorite target at Duke, Cooper Barkate, has also transferred to Miami following Mensah’s controversial jump.

Last season, Barkate led the Blue Devils with 72 catches for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games. He was Mensah’s ‘go-to’ guy, and there is no doubt about that. Against GT, Barkate went off for 13 catches and 172 yards, and over 60% of Mensah’s passing yards came in the initial part of the game.

So Miami can expect to see the same magic again in the 2026 season. Another crucial reason is the O-line. Miami’s O-line was super elite in the 2025 season. The unit was consistently ranked among the top groups in the country, and it gave Carson Beck ample time to make his throws.

It facilitated a rushing attack that averaged 163 yards per game. It forced defenses to let the run happen and enabled Beck to use play-action on 36.1% of his drop-backs. So Darian Mensah will also be getting this for the 2026 season.