It’s official: The Atlantic Coast Conference’s most prolific returning quarterback and the conference’s second-most productive wide receiver are taking their talents from Durham, N.C. to Coral Gables.
Quarterback Darian Mensah and his former Duke teammate, receiver Cooper Barkate, formally committed to join the University of Miami on Tuesday night.
It’s a major coup for the Hurricanes, who landed a quarterback who was top five in the country in both passing yards and touchdown passes as well as a receiver who will join UM star Malachi Toney to form the nation’s only teammate tandem that each ranked in the top 10 in receiving yardage in 2025.
UM targeted Mensah to replace departing Carson Beck before the transfer portal closed on Jan. 16, and Mensah’s path to join UM was cleared on Tuesday when the quarterback and Duke agreed to an out-of-court settlement that resolved a disagreement about his NIL deal with Duke, which runs through Dec. 31, 2026.
Mensah has two years of eligibility remaining, but he has the option of turning pro after next season.
For more on Mensah, please click here.
Mensah’s favorite target, Barkate, is accompanying his quarterback to Miami. Barkate told on3.com on Tuesday night that he has committed to UM.
Barkate, who has one season of eligibility remaining, joins a loaded wide receiver room featuring fellow veteran transfers Cam Vaughn (West Virginia) and Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina), as well as the dynamic Toney, Joshua Moore, Daylyn Upshaw and four highly-regarded freshmen — Soumourian Wingo, Vance Spafford, Milan Parris and Tyran Evans.
The Canes’ receiver room will now feature two of the 10 players with the most receiving yards in the country last season. Toney was fifth with 1211; Barkate was ninth with 1106.
Barkate’s 72 catches were 16th most in FBS last season, and 13th most excluding players whose totals were boosted by playoff games. (Toney was first in the nation with 109 receptions.)
Barkate averaged 15.4 yards per receptions, which was 32nd among FBS players who caught at least 50 passes There were 24 FBS players who caught at least 70 passes last season, and Barkate’s 15.4 average was second best.
The 6-1 Barkate, who grew up in Santa Ana., Cal. and attended Mater Dei High there, played three seasons for Harvard (2022 through 2024), starting 19 of 23 appearances and producing 113 receptions for 1,742 yards and 14 touchdowns.
After the 2024 season, he entered the portal and transferred to Duke, where he finished last season fourth in the conference in receptions, second in touchdown receptions (seven) and seventh in yards from scrimmage (1106). He was named second team All ACC in December.
Three Hurricanes receivers from last year’s team are out of college eligibility – key contributors Keelan Marion and CJ Daniels, as well as sparingly-used Tony Johnson.
Four others entered the portal and joined new teams: Jojo Trader (NC State), Ny Carr (Wake Forest), Chance Robinson (NC State) and Ray Ray Joseph (East Carolina).
Including Mensah and Barkate, UM’s list of portal additions stands at 13.
The others: receivers Vaughn and Jacobs; former Boston College nickel cornerback Omar Thornton; ex-Missouri edge rusher Damon Wilson; Nebraska defensive end/tackle Keona Davis, former Ohio State defensive tackle Jarquez Carter, ex-Georgia tackle/guard Jamal Meriweather; former East Tennessee State guard Jonathan Cline; former FSU and Oregon State safety Conrad Hussey; and kickers Jack Olsen (Northwestern) and Jake Weinberg (FSU).
UM also added 30 freshmen in what was universally ranked as a top-10 recruiting class. Linebacker Kartsen Bursch is the only one of the 30 who has not yet enrolled at Miami.
This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 10:11 PM.
Barry Jackson
Miami Herald
Barry Jackson has written for the Miami Herald since 1986 and has written the Florida Sports Buzz column since 2002.
