No. 1 Miami touting both Mensah and Toney as Heisman Trophy hopefuls this season

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — It's election season, and No. 1 Miami would like a select group of people to seriously consider two candidates when casting ballots.

Vote for Darian Mensah.

Or vote for Malachi Toney.

When it comes to the race for the Heisman Trophy, the Hurricanes are already campaigning. They want those entrusted with selecting the winner of college football's top individual honor to choose one of their two stars — who are near the top of the national rankings in a slew of categories.

And yes, the Hurricanes (7-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) are touting the duo as — wait for it — Heismen.

“When your best players prepare and focus a certain way, I think it definitely rubs off on everybody,” Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said this week. “We're lucky right now that our best players are the ones that prepare a certain way, they are focused a certain way, and they bring a certain intensity to the game. That definitely filters through the group. It's contagious.”

Neither Mensah nor Toney is likely to concede much about what winning the Heisman — or even being a top candidate for the award — would mean to them individually, though it should be noted Toney struck the Heisman pose while celebrating a touchdown catch on the Hurricanes' very first drive of the season back in September. He's done it a few more times since.

But when asked by The Associated Press on Wednesday to make the case for the other, neither disappointed with their answers.

— Toney, speaking on Mensah: “He's just an unbelievable player. Puts the ball wherever it needs to be. He's just a leader. The play speaks for itself."

— Mensah, speaking on Toney: “The biggest thing that sets him apart from everybody else is his eagerness to go out and block for his teammates. I think if you turn on the tape, he does it at such a high level that it's different. He's obviously a great person but he wants to see his teammates win. And I think he's just a selfless person. I think that's why he should win.”

Mensah enters this week leading the country in yards per attempt (10.54) and completion percentage (81.4%, such a wide margin over No. 2 Noah Fifita of Arizona that the Miami quarterback could misfire on his next 19 throws and still hold the top spot). He’s thrown for 22 touchdowns and just one interception.

“One of the best quarterbacks in the country,” said North Carolina coach Bill Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl champion whose Tar Heels (4-3, 2-2) will play host to the Hurricanes on Saturday night. “I mean, I haven’t seen them all, but he’s got to be right up there. Can’t imagine there’s too many playing better than he is.”

Toney leads the nation with 66 catches, plus ranks third with 11 touchdown catches and 952 receiving yards. And he, too, got rave reviews from Belichick — on everything from his blocking to his route running to even being able to handle success at such a young age.

“He can kill you on a screen pass. He can kill you on an intermediate play. He can kill you on deep balls. Returns, improvised plays,” Belichick said. “He helps the quarterback out a lot because he gets open, finds ways to get open even when he's double-covered. That doesn't really stop him. You would think it would, but not really.”

Mensah has even found Toney in a couple of triple-covered situations this season.

“Malachi has the trust of the entire organization — and certainly the quarterback,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.

Most sportsbooks have Mensah and Toney in the top three for this year's award, both trailing the presumed favorite, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State. It's not unheard of for teammates to finish in the top three; there are three such instances in the last 50 seasons with DeVonta Smith and Mac Jones for Alabama in 2020, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart for for USC in 2005, and Adrian Peterson and Jason White for Oklahoma in 2004.

Mensah and Toney — in some order — could join that list in a few weeks. And they're already at the point where Dawson can see an unspoken communication in games, making little adjustments to a play on the fly because one already knows what the other is thinking.

“Man, me and Darian have gotten close within these past few months,” Toney said. “It's just been crazy.”

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