Miami’s Darian Mensah Named 2026 ACC Football Preseason Player of the Year; Hurricanes Lead All-ACC Preseason Team

Darian Mensah MiamiCHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Miami quarterback Darian Mensah (above) has been selected as the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Preseason Player of the Year, headlining the announcement of the 2026 All-ACC Preseason Football Team as voted on by media members attending the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff.

Mensah, who was also selected as the first-team preseason quarterback, received 97 votes to claim the league’s top preseason individual honor. Miami was voted as the preseason favorite to win the ACC title after receiving the most points in the media’s predicted order of finish, which was announced yesterday.

Mensah is coming off a breakout 2025 season in which he led Duke to the program’s first ACC Football Championship, earning MVP honors in both the ACC Football Championship Game and the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. He was also named second-team All-ACC and the Associated Press Newcomer Transfer of the Year after leading the conference with 34 touchdown passes and 3,973 passing yards, both of which ranked second nationally. Following his transfer to Miami, Mensah’s 34 touchdown passes last season are tied for the most among all returning FBS quarterbacks enter this season.

Miami paced all ACC programs with nine preseason selections, highlighted by wide receiver/all-purpose standout Malachi Toney, who earned three selections at wide receiver, all-purpose and specialist after being named the 2025 ACC Freshman of the Year. Clemson and Virginia followed with four selections each, while Louisville and SMU had two apiece. Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Virginia Tech each had one selection.

The ACC enters the 2026 season as the league begins its transition to a nine-game conference schedule. The season culminates with the 2026 ACC Football Championship Game on Saturday, December 5, at noon ET on ABC.

2026 All-ACC Preseason Football Team
Offense
QB: Darian Mensah, Miami (112) *
RB: Mark Fletcher, Jr., Miami (127)
RB: Isaac Brown, Louisville (94)
WR: Malachi Toney, Miami (164)
WR: Duce Robinson, Florida State (131)
WR: Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson (64)
TE: Jeremiah Hasley, Duke (61)
AP: Malachi Toney, Miami (94)
OT: PJ Williams, SMU (96)
OT: McKale Boley, Virginia (77)
OG: Noah Josey, Virginia (71)
OG: Samson Okunlola, Miami (53)
C: Josh Bates, SMU (64)

Defense
DE: Will Heldt, Clemson (87)
DE: Clev Lubin, Louisville (79)
DT: Ahmad Moten Sr., Miami (126)
DT: Kemari Copeland, Virginia Tech (89)
LB: Sammy Brown, Clemson (139)
LB: Kam Robinson, Virginia (98)
LB: Mohamed Toure, Miami (64)
CB: Ashton Hampton, Clemson (81)
CB: Chris Peal, Syracuse (45)
S: Bryce Fitzgerald, Miami (86)
S: KP Price, Boston College (45)

Specialists
PK: Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech (105)
P: Daniel Sparks, Virginia (48)
SP: Malachi Toney, Miami (104)

Votes by position in parentheses
*Preseason Player of the Year
188 media voters

2026 ACC Football Preseason Player of the Year
Rank, Name, Position, School
1. Darian Mensah, QB, Miami (97)
2. Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU (25)
3. Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville (16)
4. CJ Bailey, QB, NC State (15)
5. Duce Robinson, WR, Florida State (12)
6. Sammy Brown, LB, Clemson (11)
7. Kam Robinson, LB, Virginia (5)
8. Will Heldt, DE, Clemson (4)
9. Mason Heintschel, QB, Pitt (3)

Votes in parentheses
188 media voters

ACC Football Notes

Strongest Non-Conference Schedule Once Again in 2026

  • ACC teams are scheduled to play 25 non-conference games against P4 + ND — most of any conference.
  • Includes 9 games vs. SEC, 5 vs. B1G, 5 vs. Big 12 and 6 vs. Notre Dame.
  • Two-thirds of the ACC’s non-conference games are against P4 or bowl-eligible teams.
  • All 17 ACC teams will play at least 10 games vs. P4 + ND.
  • 3 of the 5 FBS teams playing 11 or more games vs. P4 + ND hail from the ACC.
  • 12 non-conference games against teams ranked in ESPN’s 2026 Way-Too-Early Top 25.
  • 12 games against teams ranked in the final 2025 College Football Playoff rankings and AP Top 25.
  • 29 games, including 23 teams, that received a 2025 bowl invitation.

ACC Again Owns Labor Day Weekend with “Five Days of ACC Football”

  • 14 teams will compete in 12 games across 5 days (Thursday, September 3 – Monday, September 7).
  • SMU at Florida State on Labor Day Monday marks the ACC’s 17th consecutive year playing on Labor Day (excluding 2020) and 20th since 2005.
  • ACC leads all conferences in Week 1 P4 non-conference games (5 total).

ACC Football Fridays

  • During the 2026 season, the ACC is playing a record 15 games on Fridays.
  • Over the first 6 weeks, ACC teams will appear in 9 Friday games, which includes 4 Friday contests in Week 2.
  • The league will continue to take center stage in October and November, with:
    • At least one Friday night game will be played in each of Weeks 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13.
    • Thanksgiving week concludes with Florida at Florida State on Black Friday.

Strength and Depth of ACC Football

  • Over the last 3 seasons, the ACC has had 11 or more bowl-eligible teams — the longest streak of any conference.
  • Last year, the ACC had 7 teams with 9 or more wins on the season — the most in a single season in ACC history.
  • 9 ACC teams had 8 or more wins in 2025 — tied for the most in FBS and the most in a single season in ACC history.
  • In 2024, 4 teams finished the season with 10 or more wins — the first time in ACC history.

2026 ACC Football Championship Game

  • Saturday, December 5, at noon ET on ABC, at Bank of America Stadium.
  • 2026 marks the 14th consecutive year, and the 18th time overall, that the game will air on ABC.
  • ACC Title games have been televised on either ABC or ESPN every year since their inaugural season in 2005.
  • The ACC’s top two teams will be showcased in the only P4 conference championship game at noon.