Louisville football made moves this offseason to compete for the ACC Title. The Cardinals brought in over 50 new players after the 2025 season concluded, adding 30 from the Transfer Portal and 20 from the 2025 recruiting class.
Jeff Brohm and Vince Marrow have built one of the Cardinals' best rosters since Brohm took over the head coaching job for Louisville in 2023. This roster has depth, stars, speed, physicality, and much more, and with the manageable schedule, Louisville should be fighting for a spot in the ACC Championship game when Dec. 5, 2026, rolls around.
When looking at the Cardinals' biggest threats to that coveted ACC Title, a few teams come to mind. However, the Miami Hurricanes are clearly Louisville’s biggest threat, and just a couple of days ago, Mario Cristobal got his quarterback and has this team ready not only to compete for an ACC Title but also a National Title.
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Miami's latest addition is a big worry for Louisville’s ACC Title hopes
Miami is coming off an impressive College Football Playoffs run. The Hurricanes squeaked into the playoffs as the No. 10 seed and rattled off three straight wins, then went on to compete in the 2026 National Championship but came up just short against the Indiana Hoosiers.
Now, Miami quickly turned things around as they had one of the best offseasons in the nation, as they brought in just 12 transfers from the portal, but five of them were 4-stars, including their new starting quarterback for the 2026 season, Darian Mensah.
BREAKING: Duke transfer QB Darian Mensah has committed to Miami, @PeteNakos and @Hayesfawcett3 report🙌https://t.co/0GOP0hkPU2 https://t.co/izHoQuGvYb pic.twitter.com/siCdllTTTE
— On3 (@On3) January 28, 2026
While the Cardinals don’t play Miami this season, this Hurricanes team is quickly one of the best teams in the nation yet again. Mensah brings tons of experience as he started his career with Tulane, where he threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns while completing 66-percent of his passes, and then had an even better season last year with Duke after throwing for 3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns, just six interceptions, and completing 67 percent of his passes.
Miami, all of a sudden, has one of the most explosive offenses in the nation and is a massive target for Louisville’s efforts to win its first-ever ACC Title in 2026. The Duke transfer brings a combined 6,696 passing yards and 56 touchdowns to Miami as he joins Mark Fletcher Jr., who ran for 1,192 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and preseason All-American Malachi Toney, who earned 1,324 total yards and 11 total touchdowns.
The sophomore quarterback ranked No. 16 overall and the No. 6 best quarterback in the Transfer Portal after he committed to Miami. This Hurricanes team had to rebuild key positions, like quarterback, but Cristobal quickly turned this team not just into an ACC Title-contending team, but into one that can return to the National Championship.
Related: Who's coming and who's going: Louisville football 2026 Transfer Portal tracker
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