CBS Sports is buying all the Darian Mensah hype heading into the 2026 season.
On Tuesday, CBS Sports released its annual Way-Too-Early 12-team College Football Playoff projection, and the Hurricanes found themselves sitting at the very top. No. 1 in the country.
CBS Sports writer Brad Crawford slotted Miami into the No. 1 spot, showing just how much belief there is nationally in what Mario Cristobal is building in Coral Gables.
The biggest reason? Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah.
Here’s what Crawford had to say about the Hurricanes:
“There's no recency bias here coming out of the Hurricanes' national championship appearance. Mario Cristobal has another Infinity Gauntlet-like roster, landing his own Thanos of sorts after Duke quarterback Darian Mensah's recent transfer. Pairing Mensah with superstar wideout Malachi Toney means the Hurricanes should have an explosive attack for the third consecutive year in the passing game under OC Shannon Dawson. Outgoing pass rusher Rueben Bain's recent admission that Miami's defensive line ‘might be better’ without him is quite worrisome for the rest of the ACC.”
Mensah steps into an offense that already features Malachi Toney, plus his former Duke teammate Cooper Barkate, a 1,000-yard wideout who followed him to Miami. All of them is going to be coached by offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, who has helped turn the Hurricanes into one of the most dangerous passing offenses in the country over the past two seasons.
CBS clearly doesn’t see that changing anytime soon.
It’s February. It’s way too early. But when national outlets are already penciling Miami in at No. 1, it tells you everything you need to know about where expectations are heading into 2026.
The hype train is officially rolling.
Check out CBS Sports’ full projected CFP bracket below.
No. 1 Miami (ACC Champion)
No. 2 Notre Dame
No. 3 Texas (SEC Champion)
No. 4 Indiana (Big Ten Champion)
First-Round Matchups
No. 9 LSU at No. 8 Ohio State
No. 12 Michigan at No. 5 Texas Tech (Big 12 Champion)
No. 11 Memphis at No. 6 Georgia
No. 10 Texas A&M at No. 7 Oregon
On Tuesday, CBS Sports released its annual Way-Too-Early 12-team College Football Playoff projection, and the Hurricanes found themselves sitting at the very top. No. 1 in the country.
CBS Sports writer Brad Crawford slotted Miami into the No. 1 spot, showing just how much belief there is nationally in what Mario Cristobal is building in Coral Gables.
The biggest reason? Duke transfer quarterback Darian Mensah.
Here’s what Crawford had to say about the Hurricanes:
“There's no recency bias here coming out of the Hurricanes' national championship appearance. Mario Cristobal has another Infinity Gauntlet-like roster, landing his own Thanos of sorts after Duke quarterback Darian Mensah's recent transfer. Pairing Mensah with superstar wideout Malachi Toney means the Hurricanes should have an explosive attack for the third consecutive year in the passing game under OC Shannon Dawson. Outgoing pass rusher Rueben Bain's recent admission that Miami's defensive line ‘might be better’ without him is quite worrisome for the rest of the ACC.”
Mensah steps into an offense that already features Malachi Toney, plus his former Duke teammate Cooper Barkate, a 1,000-yard wideout who followed him to Miami. All of them is going to be coached by offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, who has helped turn the Hurricanes into one of the most dangerous passing offenses in the country over the past two seasons.
CBS clearly doesn’t see that changing anytime soon.
It’s February. It’s way too early. But when national outlets are already penciling Miami in at No. 1, it tells you everything you need to know about where expectations are heading into 2026.
The hype train is officially rolling.
Check out CBS Sports’ full projected CFP bracket below.
CBS Sports’ College Football Playoff Bracket Projection
First-Round ByesNo. 1 Miami (ACC Champion)
No. 2 Notre Dame
No. 3 Texas (SEC Champion)
No. 4 Indiana (Big Ten Champion)
First-Round Matchups
No. 9 LSU at No. 8 Ohio State
No. 12 Michigan at No. 5 Texas Tech (Big 12 Champion)
No. 11 Memphis at No. 6 Georgia
No. 10 Texas A&M at No. 7 Oregon
