All-22 Review: Darian Mensah vs. Temple (2024)

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ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 16: Darian Mensah #10 of the Tulane Green Wave calls a play against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on November 16, 2024 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We are back with another edition of the All-22 Review. This round we’re looking at new Miami Hurricanes quarterback DarianMensah taking on the Temple Owls in 2024 as a member of the Tulane Green Wave. Against Temple Mensah was much more explosive than in our viewing of the Charlotte 49ers game.

Here the QB finished 14-0f-21 for 262 yards which is good for 12.5 yards per pass attempt. He threw two TD’s with one ill advised interception. The Green Wave won the game 52-6 over the lowly Owls.

Let's take an All-22 Review of Darian Mensah vs. Temple in 2024. Mensah averaged 12.5 yards per attempt with two TD's and one INT vs the Owls while at Tulane. In this clip, you will see that Mensah isn't a 'runner' at QB, but we'll see what he is good at doing with his legs later pic.twitter.com/FhvFYJx6q6

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Mensah isn’t going to dazzle anyone with his legs. The ‘Canes new QB rushed for one TD with his longest rush coming in at 22-yards in 2024. In ‘25, he once again scored once on the ground, with a 34-yard long run on negative rushing yards. He was sacked only 17 times at Tulane, but 27 times at Duke in ‘25.

Above- Mensah does a great job of climbing the pocket and finding ‘release’ space but doesn’t have the acceleration to pick up any real yardage. Expect more CarsonBeck than CamWard on the ground, with better play extension and pocket movement than Beck.

A little confusion here but as usual Mensah really likes the in breaking intermediate routes over the middle. Give him a dig any day, much like Carson Beck enjoyed last year as a Hurricane pic.twitter.com/BaOutmgmIJ

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Above– As I’ve said before, Mensah loves the intermediate-middle throws like the 10-12 yard dig route. Beck loved those throws, too. That should keep things fairly familiar for Mensah in the ShannonDawson offense.

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There’s some confusion here as the WR with the arrow is detailing where he should be… working over to the far hash to open the tube for the dig route coming to the near hash. But what works is the two DB’s collide and it’s a 55 yard TD throw instead of a 20y explosive.

Tulane tries a trick play here and it works. They went on a 'check with me' type of snap and Mensah drops a dime on a deep fade. When Temple's safety played up it was an easy 1-on-1 to the outside. Those SHOULD be winnable throws and he hits on it for an explosive play pic.twitter.com/oPxscPZ8Pr

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Mensah is one tough SOB as you’ll see in the clip above. He unloads the fade as he’s being leveled and it’s the best deep throw I’ve seen from him in two games of film.

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Above– You can see the ball is out as he’s getting leveled by the defender. That thing still drops in the bucket and he doesn’t appear to be shaken up in the slightest afterwards. TOUGHNESS is a key trait of any QB.

Mensah isn't a true runner, he's a creator. When he needs to move and extend the play he can create space which creates time. He's also very accurate on the scramble drill plays that reminds me of Cam Ward in a lot of ways. No play is dead when the QB can keep his eyes downfield pic.twitter.com/HO8S0ueWuK

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Again while Mensah isn’t a runner he’s a creator. Here after he hitches up the protection breaks down at left tackle. He escapes, creates space which buys time, and fires an accurate ball that is either caught or out of bounds (versus intercepted). It’s caught on a tightrope walk and it’s another ‘wow’ throw from the redshirt freshman.

One of his rare turnovers (12 in two full seasons as a starter) Mensah lets this rip even with the CB 8y deep pre snap (7 is the hard deck) and bailing post snap. This is a "no" throw or at least a back shoulder break off but deep middle isn't the right move. pic.twitter.com/mSLKMAiH5a

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So far he’s had one true head scratcher per game which is nothing in the grand scheme of a guy getting his first starts under his belt under his 2nd head coach and OC in as many years.

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Temple has the CB to that side playing the deep 1/3 while the safety is playing the apex. He decides to throw the deep ball but the CB was 8-yards deep pre-snap (7-yards is the ‘hard deck’ on throwing deep) and then bails in his technique. Mensah doesn’t take his eyes of the safety (inside, closer arrow to the LOS) and when he comes up fires over the top. The issue is the CB is in a better spot to catch the ball than the WR!

The Wrap​

This Temple game was the 7th win on an 8-game winning streak for the Green Wave in JonSumrall’s first season as head coach. He definitely inherited a program on the rise after Willie Fritz left for Houston, but Sumrall did a fantastic job of keeping Mensah on campus and utilizing his strengths.

So far through two All-22 reviews Mensah has thrown for just under 500 yards with two TD’s and one INT plus two sacks. Next up will be Mensah’s move to the Duke Blue Devils in the 2025 season.

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