Heading into their bye week, the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes are undoubtedly one of the top teams in the country. They’ve won every game by at least 13 points and rank first nationally in total yards gained as well as points allowed per game.
Many players have shined. Some could be in contention for end-of-season awards. Here are Miami’s offensive and defensive MVPs through the first five weeks of the season.
Offensive MVP: Quarterback Darian Mensah
Quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney are two of the country’s top stars at their respective positions. Both players have a strong argument as Miami’s offensive MVP through five games.
Because of how important the quarterback position is, I’m choosing Mensah for this award. The former Duke signal caller has been precise with his new team, completing 84.2% of his passes for 1,438 yards, 15 touchdowns and no interceptions, adding 79 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. He also has a quarterback rating of 91.9 – good for second nationally behind Ohio State’s Julian Sayin.
Mensah, however, isn’t riding the high of his early-season performances.
“He just wants to get better,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said to reporters. “Instead of looking for praise after the game, he’s looking for errors to improve upon.”
Following Week 5, Mensah has the second-best odds in college football to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy award, according to DraftKings.
Defensive MVP: Cornerback Ethan O’Connor
The defensive MVP honor easily could have gone to junior edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot, who is on pace to finish with over 10 sacks this season. But with all of the injuries that Miami’s defensive backs have suffered, this honor deserves to go to the player who has kept the secondary afloat: Ethan O’Connor.
A solid contributor on last year’s team, O’Connor has transformed into a legit lockdown cornerback this season in the absence of starters OJ Frederique and Xavier Lucas. O’Connor has allowed just 10 receptions for 65 yards on 18 targets, and he leads all UM defenders with a Pro Football Focus grade of 84.7. O’Connor also recorded a game-sealing interception against Wake Forest in Week 3.
“I just want to be the best player I can be,” O’Connor told reporters after Miami’s win over Wake Forest. “I’m not here to compete with other players; I just want to compete with myself, and I just gotta look that guy in the mirror and see if he can do it every single day and bring it.”
With Lucas expected to return to action soon, O’Connor won’t have as much responsibility on his plate. Still, his emergence has been an important development for the defense this season.
