After years of frustration, the Miami Hurricanes returned to the glory days of the mid-to-late 80s and 90s when they were regularly competing for the national title and placing multiple players into the first round of the draft. After losing a close game to Indiana for the championship, Miami had a trio of players selected in the first round this past April. Similar to 2025, expect the first player selected from the program in next April’s draft to be a transfer quarterback.

Duke transfer Darian Mensah rarely gets mentioned as potentially the top quarterback in what looks like a crowded field at the position in the 2027 NFL Draft, though he should. Mensah is athletic, smart, and possesses all the physical skills to be an impact starter on Sundays. He displays a strong arm and the ability to make all the passes. He’s accurate and does a great job placing throws. He sees the field well and, for the most part, stays away from mental errors.

Mensah is mobile, easily makes the throw on the move, and picks up yardage with his legs. So why the disrespect? For starters, he’s not a big passer and lacks pocket stature. His downfield passing can be inconsistent, and there’s room for improvement. In my opinion, he possesses the ability to be a field general a la Dante Moore with the athleticism and arm strength of Arch Manning and deserves top-10 billing.

Mensah will be handing the ball to Mark Fletcher Jr., the Hurricanes’ feature running back who punishes opponents on the inside. Fletcher is big and powerful and can handle a lot of carries. He picks up the difficult and important yards. Go back to the Hurricanes’ upset victory over Texas A&M during the first round of the 2025 College Football Playoff, a game played in College Station. During the game-winning drive, Miami took the ball out of quarterback Carson Beck’s hands (he threw just one pass) and handed it off to Fletcher on five of their six plays.

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Fletcher rewarded the team with 75 yards on those five carries. The big back is more than a bulldozer who runs over defenders and displays the foot quickness to dart around opponents and create yardage. Fletcher is a throwback of sorts and will not be a back for all offenses, yet he can start on Sundays.

While true sophomore Malachi Toney will be Mensah’s big-play threat, Cooper Barkate could be his favorite target. Barkate followed Mensah to Miami from Duke and is a smooth, fluid receiver with natural pass-catching ability. He’s also smart and sneaky fast, and he displays the ability to get downfield on occasion. Mensah and Barkate have a strong rapport from their Duke days, and the sixth-year senior is a solid middle-round prospect.

Defensively, it starts with another transfer, Damon Wilson II, the well-traveled pass rusher who came to Miami via Missouri. Wilson is a natural edge rusher who can be used out of a three-point stance and standing over tackle. He’s fast up the field, bends the edge with balance as well as quickness, and makes plays all over the field. Wilson has a slim build at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, but does have a first-round grade from a few scouts.

Ahmad Moten Sr. continues the tradition of impactful interior defensive linemen from the Miami program who project well at the next level. Moten plays with great explosion as well as quickness, constantly penetrating the backfield to disrupt game plans. He’s athletic and gets down the line or outside the box to make plays. What Moten doesn’t display is consistent power, as his 310-pound frame is often very slow to shed blocks.

Keep an eye on Omar Thornton, a Boston College transfer I think very highly of. Thornton was one of the bright spots for a terrible BC program last season. He’s a punishing run defender who throws his body around the field while also displaying excellent skill in coverage. Thornton has all the makings of a top-45 selection if he keeps improving.