Who will replace Carson Beck as Miami football QB in 2026? See options

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(Editor’s note: Story updated with report that Miami quarterback Emory Williams has entered the transfer portal on Jan. 20.)

Cam Ward brought Miami football back in the national spotlight in 2024. Carson Beck took them to the brink of winning the national championship in 2025. Who will be the Hurricanes’ quarterback in 2026?

Mario Cristobal made big splashes in the transfer portal over the past two offseasons to lead his offense. It’s worked both times. Ward became a Heisman finalist after coming over from Washington State, throwing for 4,313 yards and leading the NCAA with 39 touchdowns to win the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top quarterback. Beck may have ended Miami’s season with a gut-wrenching interception, but the Georgia transfer also was fourth with 3,813 passing yards and tied for sixth with 30 TDs.

The Hurricanes will have a difficult time filling those shoes for 2026. Many of the top QBs in the transfer portal have already committed elsewhere. Several of the most coveted targets were previously tied to Miami. But Sam Leavitt is going to LSU, Ty Simpson is staying in the NFL draft, Demond Williams Jr.’s contract is keeping him in Washington, and Dylan Raiola is bound to Oregon (though who knows whether he’ll stay there after Dante Moore dropped out of the NFL draft).

Who will be Miami quarterback next year?

If Miami can’t land a transfer splash, they still have internal options to lead the charge back to the College Football Playoff. Here’s a look at who could be the Hurricanes’ quarterback in 2026.

Darian Mensah

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah is the most likely candidate to come to Miami in 2026. He entered the transfer portal on Jan. 16, the last day he could have entered. That’s a sticky situation considering he signed a two-year NIL deal with the Blue Devils, who reportedly sued Mensah on Jan. 20 claiming breach of contract. That’s the same thing that kept Williams in Washington.

If he does wind up in Miami, it’s likely his reported $4 million annual deal is coming with him. But considering the Hurricanes paid north of $3 million to bring Beck to Coral Gables, they wouldn’t mind. Mensah is the No. 6 QB in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings and the No. 18 player overall. The sophomore passed for 3,973 yards (second-most in the nation) and 34 touchdowns (most in the ACC) against just six interception last season, leading Duke to an improbable ACC championship despite going 9-5.

Alberto Mendoza

That’s right, the younger brother of Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza is available. He reportedly entered the transfer portal Jan. 20, the day after Indiana beat Miami in the national championship game. Alberto was Fernando’s backup for the Hoosiers this season, going 18 of 24 games for 286 yards and five touchdowns in nine games.

Mendoza’s future at Indiana was in doubt after Curt Cignetti landed Josh Hoover, formerly of TCU and 247Sports’ No. 11 quarterback in its transfer portal rankings. The redshirt freshman was a three-star recruit out of Christopher Columbus High School and was the No. 84 QB in his class by 247Sports’ composite rankings. The Miami native won back-to-back FHSAA championships in high school; he’d fit just fine with the ‘Canes.

Luke Nickel

The true freshman threw one pass this season, an incompletion in Miami’s 41-7 blowout win over North Carolina State. Nickel was a four-star recruit and the No. 16 quarterback in the 247Sports rankings for the Class of 2025.

Dereon Coleman

Dereon Coleman is an incoming freshman from Jones High School in Orlando. He is a four-star recruit in the 247Sports composite rankings and the No. 19 quarterback in his class. Andrew Ivins of 247Sports called him a “quick-twitched passer with a live arm (who) lacks the desired measurables, but can generate plenty of velocity with a lighting-quick release.”

Judd Anderson

Fourth on the Miami QB depth chart this season, Anderson was a three-star recruit and the No. 53 QB in the 247Sports rankings in the Class of 2024.

Contributing: Austin Curtright, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami quarterback options in transfer portal for 2026 are dwindling

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