Miami came out of a loud, physical game at Clemson with its perfect start still intact. The No. 4 Hurricanes are now 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the ACC. The win pointed to something past the passing attack people already fear, and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit was quick to name the part still getting missed.
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Darian Mensah walked into Clemson as one of the most efficient passers in the country, completing throws at a clip near 88 to 89%, with a pile of touchdowns and still no interceptions. Accuracy and clean decisions are why most of the talk around Miami’s quarterback has stayed on his arm. Clemson pulled another piece of his game into the open.
On Sunday, October 4, Herbstreit posted an Instagram Reel of Mensah’s rushing touchdown against Clemson. “Mensah has been really impressive throwing the football this year. But as the season goes on, don’t overlook what he can do with his legs.” Kirk Herbstreit wrote in the caption of his Instagram Reel. “That could end up being a real X-factor for this offense.”
Mensah starred at Duke before landing in Coral Gables. On3’s NIL valuation lists him at $6.5 million, a figure that has sat at the top of college football. Miami paid that premium because of what he had already done as a passer. An ACC title and a record-setting year with the Blue Devils. Nobody doubted the arm coming in, but another question was whether his legs could turn into another X factor.
Herbstreit’s reel is built around one play. In the second quarter, with Miami leading 10-3 and about 13:42 left in the half, Mensah took off on first-and-10. He raced 34 yards, fumbled just short of the goal line, and recovered his own fumble in the end zone. The score pushed Miami ahead 17-3.
Miami beat Clemson 41-13 at Memorial Stadium. Mensah went 18 of 27 for 227 yards and a touchdown pass, with no interceptions. He also carried three times for 27 yards, and one of those runs was the 34-yard score.
At Duke in 2025, Mensah threw for about 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns against six interceptions, and he led the Blue Devils to the ACC title. What the Hurricanes are getting on top of those throws is the layer Herbstreit just flagged. Opponents now have to plan for a quarterback who can also take it himself.
Defenses already know Mensah can throw. The problem shows up when the first read closes, and the pocket starts to break. A defense locked in on Miami’s passing game cannot assume he will stay in the pocket.
He does not have to become a high-volume runner for the legs to change the plan. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal saw the same from the sideline.
“Oh yeah, I thought he had awesome numbers with both his arms and with his legs, commanding the offense, putting us in the correct run check, extending plays, made some awesome throws, got hit a few times as well,” Cristobal said after Miami’s win over Clemson.
“We had a shift that was called on that touchdown. Aside from that, we had one. I think Max jumped off, was illegal procedure they called him for. Aside from that, I don’t think we had any pre-snap penalties. So I thought he had great command in a great environment. So I thought he was great,” the head coach added.
Through five games, Mensah is 112 of 133, good for 84.2%, with 1,438 yards, 15 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Through four games, he had more touchdown passes than incompletions. CBS Sports Research said he was the only FBS quarterback in 30 years with more touchdown passes than incompletions through his first four games.