Miami's Darian Mensah Not Concerned With CFP Bracket Expansion, 'NFL is on My Mind'

The College Football Playoff bracket may be expanding, but Miami Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah doesn't plan to stick around for it.

During a recent interview with GQ's Alex Kirshner, Mensah was asked about his thoughts on the impending 24-team playoff bracket expansion.

"If everything goes to plan, it won't really concern me," Mensah said. "The NFL is on my mind."

Mensah is the prototypical modern college quarterback: He is a two-time transfer currently on his third team in three years. Despite switching teams each year, the 21-year-old has made steady improvements since his first season with Tulane in 2024, and he has hit his stride through Week 9 of the 2026 season.

Mensah has led the Hurricanes to the No. 1 rank in the nation with an undefeated 8-0 record, and he's currently the favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy. He has completed 188 of his 233 pass attempts for 2,425 passing yards with 25 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. His staggering 80.7 percent completion rate is best in the nation.

A significant portion of Mensah's success can be attributed to his connection with wide receiver Malachi Toney. Whether or not the Hurricanes quarterback sticks around for the playoff expansion could ultimately come down to how he performs without Toney, who is expected to undergo surgery after injuring his ankle in practice.

As things currently stand, Mensah is expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker is the only quarterback expected to be selected ahead of him, according to consensus rankings.

The College Football Playoff is expected to move toward a 24-team format starting in the 2027 season through an agreement with ESPN. Under the new proposal, the top eight seeds would receive a first-round bye followed by a home game, and the next eight seeds would host a first-round game.