Miami quarterback Carson Beck shocked college football when he exited the NFL draft and transferred to the Hurricanes from Georgia last offseason, and it turned out to be a great move for the sixth-year signal caller.
Beck led the Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff national championship game, completing 19-of-32 passes for 232 yards and one touchdown to one interception in the 27-21 loss. That capped a season in which he completed 338-of-467 passes (72.4%) for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
But who will replace Beck, who led Miami to the national championship game against Indiana?
The Hurricanes don’t have an obvious backup to take over the reins. Emory Williams has appeared in a reserve role for three seasons, and has been passed up for a transfer portal quarterback in two consecutive seasons with Beck and former No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
Miami has found tons of success finding its quarterback in the portal, just like Indiana, who it faced for a national title.
Here’s a look at what the Hurricanes will do at quarterback in 2026:
Who will be Miami’s quarterback next year?
Duke QB Darian Mensah
The quarterback tied most closely to Miami is Duke’s Darian Mensah, who entered the transfer portal on Friday, Jan. 16 — the final day to enter.
Mensah was instantly linked to Miami, who still didn’t have a quarterback for 2026, on the day of his transfer. The Hurricanes had also tried to lure former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson out of the NFL draft to transfer to Miami.
If Miami can land Mensah, who was reportedly earning $4 million annually at Duke, it would be quite the consolation prize. The first-year Duke quarterback passed for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns to six interceptions this season after transferring from Tulane. He ranked second nationally in passing yards and tied-for second in passing touchdowns, leading the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship Game win over Virginia.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Dec. 19 that Mensah was returning to Duke for the 2026 season after briefly exploring the NFL draft. He changed his mind a few weeks later, posting a short message on X of his decision-making process.
‘I’m forever grateful for Duke and the coaching staff,’ Mensah wrote. ‘Thank you Duke family for everything. This wasn’t an easy decision, but after talking with my family, I believe it’s in my best interest to enter the transfer portal.’
Mensah is rated as the No. 18 player and No. 6 quarterback in the transfer portal, per 247Sports.
Indiana QB Alberto Mendoza
Could the Hurricanes turn to a Mendoza to lead the offense next season?
The younger brother of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza reportedly entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, Jan. 20 — the day after the Hoosiers downed the hometown Hurricanes in the national championship game.
Mendoza’s future at Indiana was in flux ever since Curt Cignetti landed TCU quarterback Josh Hoover out of the portal. The redshirt-freshman Miami native played at Christopher Columbus High School and could be an enticing option for the Hurricanes.
Mendoza was a three-star recruit in the 2024 class coming out of high school and was rated by 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 84 quarterback in the class. After enrolling at Indiana in June 2024, he was joined by his older brother, who transferred in from Cal after the 2024 season and went on to become the Hoosiers’ first Heisman winner in program history.
Alberto appeared in nine games, often relieving his older brother late in lopsided wins. Across those games, he completed 18 of 24 passes for 286 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He was a threat on the ground, too, rushing for 190 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts.