Analyst Has High Praise for Tulane Quarterback Ahead of Kansas State Showdown
Tulane Green Wave quarterback Darian Mensah enters his second game as a starting quarterback facing a big challenge against the No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday.
It’s a big showdown and the game is set for ESPN. For college football games, announcing crews usually get into town the day before to have production meetings with players and coaches for both teams.
That gave one of ESPN’s announcers, analyst Louis Riddick to meet with Green Wave coach Jon Sumrall and some of his players, including Mensah.
And, boy, was Riddick impressed. He even provided a comparison for Mensah to an NFL starting quarterback.
We spoke with this future superstar today. If you have not heard about him, you will soon. He reminds me of #Packers QB Jordan Love. If you want to see him with your own eyes, he will lead @GreenWaveFB vs @KStateFB tomorrow at noon on #ESPN in a battle against Heisman Trophy… https://t.co/1zRJqWibNT
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) September 6, 2024
“We spoke with this future superstar today. If you have not heard about him, you will soon. He reminds me of #Packers QB Jordan Love. If you want to see him with your own eyes, he will lead @GreenWaveFB vs @KStateFB tomorrow at noon (eastern) on #ESPN in a battle against Heisman Trophy candidate @avery2johnson @DarianMensah”
Riddick knows ball. The former Pitt standout played nearly a decade of pro football, most of it in the NFL, before he moved into a front office role. He worked his way up from being a scout to becoming the director of pro personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2010-13.
After he left the Eagles, he moved into media and worked primarily for ESPN in a variety of roles covering the NFL and college football, including serving as an analyst for Monday Night Football.
Mensah’s start last week against Southeastern Louisiana was a bit of a surprise. He redshirted last year and didn’t take a snap. But veteran quarterback Michael Pratt — who is now in the NFL — mentored him quite a bit last season.
Sumrall said that both Ty Thompson and Kai Horton, the latter of who was Pratt’s backup last season, took most of the first- and second-team snaps during spring football. But, Mensah came on during fall workouts and beat out the more experienced Horton and Thompson for the opening-night start.
He rewarded the coaching staff's faith with a 205-yard, two-touchdown performance that saw him only fail to complete two passes. It was about as letter perfect a season opener as you could ask from a quarterback that didn't have a collegiate snap going into the game.
Thompson will likely have a short-yardage role for the Green Wave because of his size and ability to run. But, for now the job appears to belong to Mensah and he'll now have to make adjustments against a Wildcats defense that knows how to get to the quarterback.
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