Miami’s season opener at Stanford is almost a week away, and the seventh-ranked Hurricanes have moved out of preseason camp and into game prep.Here are eight thoughts on Mario Cristobal’s team as it attempts to win the school’s first ACC championship since joining the league in 2004 and return to the College Football Playoff.1. Darian Mensah is ready to upgrade the offense, not merely run in itThe final pass Carson Beck threw in a Miami uniform was intercepted with 44 seconds left in the national championship game. It was Beck’s 12th interception of the 2025 season and the 30th of his collegiate career.Mensah has thrown six interceptions in each of his two seasons as a starter, one at Tulane and one at Duke. Mensah not only takes care of the ball better than Beck, but he’s also well ahead of where Miami’s 2025 starter was this time last year in mastering Shannon Dawson’s offense.With Cam Ward at quarterback, Miami led the country in scoring (42.8 ppg) and yards per play (7.6) in 2024. With Beck, the Canes fell to 37th (29.6 ppg) and 34th (6.1) in those categories. Dawson said Mensah is adjusting receivers’ routes, handling protections and stretching the field as well as any quarterback who has run his offense.“He throws an elite deep ball,” said Dawson, entering his fourth year as Miami’s play caller.According to Pro Football Focus, Beck finished 28 of 63 for 857 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions on throws 20 yards or farther last season. Mensah was more aggressive and threw fewer interceptions on deep balls last season at Duke, completing 32 of 86 attempts for 1,085 yards, 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions.Favorite college football offseason additionsAntonio Morales2. The offensive line is talented but inexperiencedWhen the Hurricanes lined up for their spring game in April, five-star freshman Jackson Cantwell was at left tackle, sophomore SJ Alofaituli was at left guard, sixth-year senior Ryan Rodriguez was at center, sophomore Max Buchanan was at right guard and the one returning starter on the unit from last season, fifth-year senior Matthew McCoy, was at right tackle.Things have changed a bit since Samson Okunlola, a former five-star prospect who played 493 snaps last season on the interior, returned after sitting out the spring. Okunlola appears to have locked down the left tackle spot, pushing Cantwell and fellow freshman Ben Congdon into a battle for the job at right guard.Whatever combination Cristobal and longtime offensive line coach Alex Mirabal decide to go with against Stanford, the Hurricanes will trot out one of the most talented, but also one of the least experienced O-lines in the league. At most, the unit will have 33 combined starts.