In some ways, it’s hard for Miami’s Malachi Toney to describe how close he’s grown to Darian Mensah in a matter of months. The quarterback–wide receiver combination is one of the most potent one-two punches in college football this season and is the main reason why the Hurricanes are the No. 1 team in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday. 

“It’s just been crazy,” Toney told reporters this week. “We were just in the locker room just talking about how I saw him at [Prime 112 Restaurant] right after he committed. Just him getting adapted to Miami, we’ve grown so close.” 

That connection was disrupted Wednesday, when Toney sustained an ankle injury in practice and underwent surgery. He’s expected back later this season, but he will miss Saturday’s much-anticipated matchup with Notre Dame, No. 11 in the Playoff rankings. But confidence remains high in Coral Gables because Miami has Mensah, who’s proved himself as a leader and competitor within Miami’s program since he arrived. 

“He’s eager to get the ball,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said this week. “Enthusiasm, excited, doesn’t flinch, very focused. Just ready, prepared. It was a preparation to give him that kind of confidence. He’s ready to roll.” 

Mensah has emerged as one of college football’s biggest stars this season. He’s at his third school in three years, having led Duke to a win in the ACC championship game in 2025 and Tulane to a 9–4 record in 2024. This year he’s been one of the most impactful transfer-portal additions in the sport—Mensah leads the nation in touchdown passes (25), and his 80.7% completion percentage would break the NCAA single-season record by more than three points (Bo Nix, 77.4%, 2023). Overall, Miami’s offense leads the nation in scoring at 46.7 points per game. 

Mensah’s ascension encapsulates how player mobility has changed the sport. Each transfer has led to a bigger on-field opportunity and higher compensation. Mensah arrived at Tulane as a consensus three-star recruit in 2023. He signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Duke in 2024, one of the biggest in college football at that time. Today, his $6.5 million NIL valuation at Miami is the highest in men’s collegiate athletics, according to On3. Mensah’s endorsement deals include CVS, Derby Watch Supply, Dr Pepper, and Sling TV. 

Saturday’s game at Notre Dame was the predetermined biggest game for Mensah and Miami this season, and Toney’s injury has scaled the challenge by a significant margin. Toney, like Mensah, is a nationwide leader in receiving; he ranks first in catches (73) and receiving touchdowns (13), and second in receiving yards (1,027). 

Saturday’s game is a huge opportunity for Mensah to showcase his ability without his top weapon. It’s a game that’s been circled by NFL scouts, who’ve been waiting for Mensah to perform against an elite team, and in a primetime slot. Miami has played only one ranked opponent through eight games this season: No. 16 Wake Forest. 

“Whether it was at Tulane, Duke, and now Miami, he’s had success at every level,” Dane Brugler, NFL Draft analyst at The Athletic, told Front Office Sports. “I don’t root for teams, but I root for players to be in big-time moments. … I want to see you go up against a more high-profile team, and I want to see you do it at that level. 

“But I do think if the draft were tomorrow, he would be a first-round pick.” 

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Transfer Portal Impact 

Mensah is attempting to follow in the footsteps of former Miami quarterback Cam Ward as a multi-time transfer turned Heisman Trophy finalist and eventual first-round draft pick. Through eight games and what’s projected ahead, Mensah’s on the short list of most impactful multi-time transfers in the portal era. 

At the highest level of performance, it’s most common in quarterbacks. Ward (Incarnate Word, Washington State, and Miami) is the most successful to date, followed by Dillon Gabriel (UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon) and Tyler Shough (Oregon, Texas Tech, and Louisville), who were Day 2 NFL Draft picks in their respective years. Elsewhere, offensive lineman Olu Oluwatimi (Air Force, Virginia, and Michigan) won the Rimington and Outland trophies while playing for the Wolverines in 2022. 

The difference between the aforementioned players and Mensah is that none played at their three schools in three consecutive seasons. He was involved in a lawsuit with Duke in January stemming from his decision to transfer. Duke claimed he violated the terms of a contract with the school. It marked the first lawsuit filed by a school against a current athlete over an NIL and/or revenue-sharing contract. Eventually, a settlement was reached. 

The three-year run is an unusual scenario for a quarterback, but Miami is arguably the school most equipped to handle the circumstances. This is the third straight year that the Hurricanes have a plug-and-play, experienced transfer quarterback: Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft; Carson Beck, a Georgia transfer who led Miami to the national championship game a year ago and was a 2026 third-round pick; and now Mensah. 

“I think that’s the [school] that’s probably done the best job, whether they’re revitalizing somebody’s stock or just developing them,” Jordan Reid, NFL Draft analyst at ESPN, told FOS. “We’ve seen it over the past three years with Cam Ward, Carson Beck. … Now Darian didn’t really need to revive his stock, but he’s definitely unlocked the next level of his development.” 

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Plenty on the Line 

Last season, Miami and Notre Dame were involved in CFP controversy. Miami was placed above Notre Dame in the final rankings despite consistent placement behind Notre Dame throughout the season. Miami did defeat Notre Dame in Week 1, 27–24, but it was not a data point used by the committee—until the final rankings. 

This Saturday’s game carries significant Playoff implications once again. For Miami, maintaining the top spot in the rankings and bolstering a résumé that has only one ranked win is extremely important. For Notre Dame—the last team in the projected 12-team field right now that doesn’t have a ranked win and doesn’t have any more opportunities after Saturday—a loss would put its Playoff chances in serious jeopardy. Notre Dame’s No. 11 Playoff ranking is significantly lower than its ranking in the AP Top 25 poll (4th). 

“Use it. Use it to remember to get back into the moment,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman told reporters this week. “The minute you start thinking about the Playoff rankings, or you hear, or you look on your phone, and somebody tells you where you rank, use it as a reminder to win this moment. I don’t wanna lose it.”

Individually, Saturday’s game was supposed to feature three of the top four favorites for the Heisman Trophy: Mensah, Toney, and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. Without Toney, who’s now out of the running, there’s an opportunity for Mensah (+165), according to FanDuel, who narrowly trails Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith (+160) or CJ Carr (+550) to make a move. 

“He’s just an unbelievable player,” Toney said this week when asked why Mensah should win the Heisman. “He puts the ball wherever it needs to be. He’s just a leader, and the play speaks for itself.”