Miami Dazzles ACC Preseason with Mensah’s MVP Lock
The Miami Hurricanes landed seven spots on the 2026 All-ACC Preseason Team, including four on offense and three on defense. Despite Malachi Toney’s triple nod, it was QB Darian Mensah who stole the show, earning Preseason Player of the Year with 97 votes. Other Hurricanes on offense include RB Mark Fletcher Jr. and WR Malachi Toney, while Ahmad Moten Sr. and Mohamed Toure anchored the defensive line and linebacking corps. Miami also topped the 2026 ACC preseason media poll with 165 first-place votes, leaving rivals SMU, Louisville, and Clemson in the dust.
Of course, Miami had to remind everyone that they own the ACC by sending so many players to the preseason dream squad that other teams needed to borrow Miami jerseys just to feel included. Meanwhile, poor Malachi Toney was feeling left out until they slapped him on as a “special teams phenom,” presumably so he wouldn’t storm the podium and demand a spot on every list ever made. And let’s be honest, Darian Mensah’s coronation as Player of the Year feels a bit like the kid who brings a three-tier cake to class, making everyone else look like they showed up with a stale granola bar. But hey, at least the rest of the conference can count on their participation trophies come November—assuming Miami deigns to show up for the games.
Miami vs. Virginia Tech: Franklin’s Hokies Under the Microscope
In this 11th installment of Miami’s 2026 opponent previews, the focus turns to James Franklin’s first year at Virginia Tech. On offense, Franklin brings Penn State transfer QB Ethan Grunkemeyer and returns running back Marcellous Hawkins alongside new power back Bill Davis. The receiving corps features Ayden Greene, Duke’s Que’Sean Brown, and deep threat Marlion Jackson. Defensively, ex-head coach Brent Pry was demoted to coordinator, paired with Franklin’s edge-rusher factory ethos and new linebacking duo Keon Wylie and Kaleb Spencer. Miami’s ACC title hopes hinge on beating Duke, surviving a Notre Dame test, then rolling through a retooled Hokies squad in Hard Rock Stadium.
Nothing screams “professional synergy” like firing your head coach, then hiring the new boss and sliding the old boss right back in but two rungs lower. If that doesn’t spell “no drama here,” I don’t know what does. Meanwhile, the Hokies’ transfer portal haul looks like someone went on Amazon Prime at 11:59 p.m. and hit “Buy Now” on every skill-position star. And sure, the ‘Canes only need to roll to 10-1 to secure their seeding, but let’s be real—predicting anything in college football is like herding cats on roller skates. At least Franklin’s defense has its pass rush polished, unless Pry and Franklin start arm-wrestling at halftime for play-call supremacy. That’s the game everyone will actually tune in to see.
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