Darian Mensah has enrolled at Miami, becoming the latest standout transfer quarterback to join the Hurricanes, who are coming off a runner-up finish in their first trip to the College Football Playoff.

Mensah transferred to Miami from ACC rival Duke on Tuesday night. Duke agreed earlier Tuesday to end a legal battle with its now-former quarterback over whether he should be allowed to sign elsewhere.

Duke and Mensah announced they came to that agreement a few hours before Mensah and his top target with the Blue Devils this past season — wide receiver Cooper Barkate — toured the Miami campus in Coral Gables, Florida.

About 12 hours later, Mensah’s deal with Miami was official.

Mensah is joining his third team in as many years. He threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns for Tulane in 2024, then had 3,973 passing yards and 34 touchdowns — both best in the ACC — for Duke while leading the Blue Devils to a surprise conference title this past season.

And the Hurricanes are hoping he can keep their run of portal-quarterback success going.

Miami nailed the transfer route the last two seasons, first with Cam Ward — who played his way into becoming the No. 1 pick in last year’s NFL draft — leading the Hurricanes to a 10-win season in 2024, then this past season with Carson Beck guiding the team to its first national championship game in nearly a quarter-century.

The Hurricanes return a slew of offensive firepower from the national runner-up team, including star wide receiver Malachi Toney — the nation’s top freshman this past season — along with running backs Mark Fletcher Jr., Marty Brown and Girard Pringle, and tight end Elija Lofton.

Barkate would add even more to that already-loaded mix. He has 185 catches for 2,848 yards and 21 touchdowns in his college career, which includes three years at Harvard — he has an economics degree from there — and then this past season at Duke.

Duke plays at Miami this coming season, visiting on Nov. 14. The Blue Devils are coached by Manny Diaz, who coached Miami from 2019 through 2021. He was replaced in Coral Gables by Miami alum Mario Cristobal, who led the team to a school-record 13 wins this past season and its first instance of back-to-back 10-win seasons since a four-year run of those from 2000 through 2003.

Miami opens the 2026 season at Stanford on Sept. 4.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

MIAMI — Florida transportation officials said a safety stand-down remains in effect for certain construction operations on the Interstate 395 bridge project after six workers were critically injured during a concrete pour earlier this month.

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In an email sent to Local 10 News on Tuesday, the Florida Department of Transportation said the Jan. 17 incident occurred during formwork operations, when concrete was being poured into a temporary mold used to form a bridge component known as a “pier cap.”

FDOT emphasized that the incident did not involve the signature bridge arches themselves and happened within a controlled work zone, away from ongoing traffic.

“At the time of the incident, the Department immediately issued a safety stand down, and that continues in effect for all formwork operations,” said FDOT spokesperson Maria Rosa Higgins Fallon. “These operations will remain paused while the contractor implements a corrective action plan to help prevent future incidents of this nature.”

Higgins Fallon did not provide details about the injuries sustained by the six workers, how many remain hospitalized or their current conditions, despite specific questions about whether workers suffered from broken bones, burns or other trauma.

FDOT also did not address whether any workers were trapped during the collapse, as described in emergency dispatcher calls and by fire rescue officials.

Miami Fire Rescue officials previously said crews were called to the I-395 work zone shortly after 10 p.m. on Jan. 17 following reports of a construction accident.

Authorities said all six workers fell or toppled roughly 30 feet during a concrete pour and were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center with serious injuries.

Fire officials said some workers were briefly pinned or trapped among metal bars and wooden materials before being extricated using specialized rescue equipment and a crane already on site.

FDOT confirmed it is working with project leadership to review safety procedures but did not directly answer whether the U.S. Department of Labor or Occupational Safety and Health Administration has formally opened an investigation into the incident.

Local 10’s request to the Department of Labor seeking confirmation of a federal investigation was pending as of Tuesday.

The project is being built by the Archer Western–de Moya Joint Venture, the same contractor involved in a 2021 fatal construction incident in Clearwater that resulted in OSHA safety violations, according to federal records. Local 10 News has requested comment from the company but has not received a response.

The I-395 project, which includes a six-arch “signature bridge” and major interstate reconstruction near downtown Miami, is years behind schedule and has faced complex construction challenges due to the unique design of its precast concrete components.

FDOT said maintaining safety remains its top priority as reviews continue. The investigation into the Jan. 17 incident remains ongoing.

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