College football QB legends like Lamar Jackson and Drake Maye have blessed the ACC conference with unforgettable moments and highlights. From Lamar Jackson’s dual-threat dominance to Drake Maye’s precision passing is cherished in college football to date. Those names have since moved on to Sundays, but their shadow still looms large over the league, specifically around Georgia Tech and Duke.

We might be seeing a reincarnation of the two CFB greats in the form of Haynes King and Darian Mensah. Haynes King, in particular, seems like he is walking on Lamar Jackson’s path. The Yellow Jackets’ QB has already reached double digits in rushing TDs. This marked a significant achievement for Haynes King, scoring 10+ rushing TDs for 560 yards for three consecutive seasons. The last ACC quarterback to do it was, of course, Lamar Jackson. The crazy part is that he achieved it just seven games into this season.

In the previous two seasons, he had 10+ and 11+ rushing TDs throughout the season. So, it seems like he is going for a record breaker, making him one of the most exciting players to watch in the ACC. Naturally, King’s performance this season has drawn inevitable comparisons to Lamar Jackson. “The strengths that I have that are similar to others, that’s who I try to emulate,” King said. “Certain reads and how he runs, a little bit of Lamar Jackson. Just watching him move.” Safe to say, King’s approach is paying off.

Similar to Lamar Jackson, Haynes King’s dual-threat abilities have helped the Yellow Jackets to the top of the ACC. He has completed 108 throws in 153 attempts for 1,176 yards this season. He also has 4 passing TDs, making his total TD count 14, which is very impressive considering it’s only been 7 games. Furthermore, he was instrumental in the win against Duke, and his record-breaking TD essentially sealed the game for Georgia Tech.

However, despite the loss, it wasn’t all that bad on the other side of the field. Duke Blue Devils’ QB Darian Mensah made the game closer than it should have been.

While Haynes King follows Lamar Jackson, Darian Mensah chooses another legend

HC Manny Diaz wouldn’t have been happy losing at home to Georgia Tech. The ACC Clash was highly anticipated, but Duke fell short. But there was a positive sign for the Blue Devils, and that was their ace QB, Darian Mensah. Thanks to his heroics in the fourth quarter, despite the loss, the scoreline was even closer.

He completed 32 out of 44 throws for 373 yards, along with 2 TDs. So far, Darian Mensah has thrown for 2,211 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in 7 games this season. But that’s not all. Against Georgia Tech, Darian Mensah made history. He became one of only two QBs in the ACC with 70% completions, 17 pass TD & 2,000 passing yards through 7 games in the last 20 years. The quarterback was the legend Drake Maye in 2022.

It feels like ACC is witnessing the rise of two great quarterbacks, following the footsteps of those who set the bar high. If they continue playing like this, they might be able to cement their legacy in college football as well.