Courtesy of ASAP Sports
Q. Third team in three years. You had your experience starting off in college at Tulane, then Duke, now Miami. What has that experience been like for you within the transfer portal, essentially being re-recruited multiple times?
DARIAN MENSAH: Yeah, it's been a special journey to say the least. Being at multiple stops, it's helped me within my own game. I've been through different OCs now, all different types of offenses. It only makes me a better player going through the transfer portal multiple times.
Q. We see Carson Beck, we see Cam Ward obviously have success. How much was that the drawing point for what you want your year at Miami to be like? Did you speak with some of them to see what it might look like?
DARIAN MENSAH: That was a huge factor as far as deciding to transfer, seeing what those two guys did last year. Made an attractive decision for me.
My OC, Coach Dawson, I think the way he will form the offense around the quarterback, around the stuff that he likes to do, also made it something that I wanted to be a part of.
Q. You did a ton of things very well at Duke last year. One consistent problem it seemed like was making every play seem like it had to be a bigger play. Is that something you've kind of worked on, especially with having a different level of talent around you?
DARIAN MENSAH: Yeah, I'd say ball security was something that I definitely took a personal note of as far as how I could get better. Going through the process of should I go to the NFL or come back, I think that was something in my game that stuck out. How can I get better?
But within this offense, I don't have to do much. I have great running backs, great receivers, great tight ends, everyone on the field are all expectational players. I think this year just going to let the game come to me and take it as it goes.
Q. Last time you were in this city you were winning an ACC championship. It comes out this morning they're changing the rules. It's strength of your body of work. That's probably something that would have kept you out of this game. I wanted your reaction to you being the reason the rules got changed for the ACC championship.
DARIAN MENSAH: I mean, yeah (smiling). I don't really know what to say about that. I was happy I got in it last year, snuck in there and won the thing. I don't know.
Q. Going into Miami, it seems like you've already developed great chemistry. How important was it to have Cooper Barkate follow you to Miami and already have established chemistry of one receiver?
DARIAN MENSAH: Yeah, it's great to go through a transition or something that's a little bit difficult with your best friend. So him and I are like two peas in a pod. We go together, do a lot of things off the field. I think that translates to our chemistry on the field, as well.
Yeah, just makes it that much easier when you're transitioning to a new school to have somebody there with you.
Q. Third team in three years. You had your experience starting off in college at Tulane, then Duke, now Miami. What has that experience been like for you within the transfer portal, essentially being re-recruited multiple times?
DARIAN MENSAH: Yeah, it's been a special journey to say the least. Being at multiple stops, it's helped me within my own game. I've been through different OCs now, all different types of offenses. It only makes me a better player going through the transfer portal multiple times.
Q. We see Carson Beck, we see Cam Ward obviously have success. How much was that the drawing point for what you want your year at Miami to be like? Did you speak with some of them to see what it might look like?
DARIAN MENSAH: That was a huge factor as far as deciding to transfer, seeing what those two guys did last year. Made an attractive decision for me.
My OC, Coach Dawson, I think the way he will form the offense around the quarterback, around the stuff that he likes to do, also made it something that I wanted to be a part of.
Q. You did a ton of things very well at Duke last year. One consistent problem it seemed like was making every play seem like it had to be a bigger play. Is that something you've kind of worked on, especially with having a different level of talent around you?
DARIAN MENSAH: Yeah, I'd say ball security was something that I definitely took a personal note of as far as how I could get better. Going through the process of should I go to the NFL or come back, I think that was something in my game that stuck out. How can I get better?
But within this offense, I don't have to do much. I have great running backs, great receivers, great tight ends, everyone on the field are all expectational players. I think this year just going to let the game come to me and take it as it goes.
Q. Last time you were in this city you were winning an ACC championship. It comes out this morning they're changing the rules. It's strength of your body of work. That's probably something that would have kept you out of this game. I wanted your reaction to you being the reason the rules got changed for the ACC championship.
DARIAN MENSAH: I mean, yeah (smiling). I don't really know what to say about that. I was happy I got in it last year, snuck in there and won the thing. I don't know.
Q. Going into Miami, it seems like you've already developed great chemistry. How important was it to have Cooper Barkate follow you to Miami and already have established chemistry of one receiver?
DARIAN MENSAH: Yeah, it's great to go through a transition or something that's a little bit difficult with your best friend. So him and I are like two peas in a pod. We go together, do a lot of things off the field. I think that translates to our chemistry on the field, as well.
Yeah, just makes it that much easier when you're transitioning to a new school to have somebody there with you.
