Why the Hurricanes QB Should be the 2026 Heisman Favorite After His Week Three Performance
Entering Week Three, the Miami Hurricanes looked to go 3-0 as they faced the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Miami obliterated Stanford and Florida A&M during their first two games of the season; however, Wake Forest presented a whole new challenge in itself. While a few Hurricanes suffered injuries, the Demon Deacons proved how great a team they are with quarterback Gio Lopez at the helm, pressuring Miami until the end of the game even while down by two scores. Ultimately, it was Miami’s defense that propelled the team to their third win of the year, 33-20, as the offense struggled throughout the second half. Even though the offense had its struggles, Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah played his most impressive game of the season.
Mensah threw 24 straight completions, breaking a school record and finishing the game going 30 for 34 with 220 passing yards and three touchdowns. Miami’s top receiver, Malachi Toney, left in the second half of the game, limping off the field, most likely a key reason why the Hurricanes offense struggled to get something going and why the Deamon Deacons elevated their play. Yet, the 25-year-old has missed eight pass attempts through three games, which is just an unbelievable stat. Mensah has gone 71 for 79 with 873 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. Pretty incredible for a QB who just transferred and entered Miami’s system. Though they struggled, this Week Three game against Wake Forest shows why the Hurricanes QB should be the 2026 Heisman Trophy favorite.
With Toney and other key pieces hurt in this game, such as Mark Fletcher Jr. and Elija Lofton, Mensah still got the Hurricanes over the hump and thrust them to a win. Most likely, if Miami played a tougher team like the Texas Longhorns, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, or last year’s National Champion Indiana Hoosiers, they probably would have lost this game given the number of three-and-outs the Hurricanes put together in the second half; however, Miami knows they have a lot of work to do, not only to remain in the National Championship conversation but in the NCAA Playoff talk as well. Just with Mensah and Toney, they have the dynamic duo that can take Miami leaps and bounds, but they cannot always rely on those two every time around. The defense has to continue making big plays like they did last night. The offense has to show it’s not just banking on Toney every time around.
Miami’s Week Four matchup is against the Central Michigan Chippewas. If Mensah can continue his incredible accuracy, throwing for a bunch of yards and touchdowns while showcasing his dominant offense, he’ll continue to climb the ladder and lead the Heisman Trophy conversation. Toney could be in the running as well, but with how accurate the 25-year-old QB has been, it seems like the Heisman is Mensah’s for the taking. It will be interesting to see what the Hurricanes quarterback can continue to do in the next couple of games to establish his position in the trophy race.
