“Miami doesn’t rebuild, they reload.” This phrase was uttered by every Hurricanes fan during the team’s glory years of the eighties, nineties, and early two-thousands.
Since their first national championship in 1983, Miami ranks fifth nationally in the number of players drafted into the NFL. They won four additional titles within the next two decades and did so by replacing elite talent with other top tier players over and over. When Craig Erickson moved on, Gino Torretta stepped in. Lose Ed Reed in the first round? Here comes Sean Taylor.
Mario Cristobal will look to put his alma mater in a similar position in this new generation. He’s stacked top ten recruiting classes and supplemented the Canes’ roster with strategic additions through the Transfer Portal.
Are we set for another reload after reaching the championship game in 2025?
The Canes lost nine players to the NFL Draft. Let’s examine Miami’s biggest losses and the players set to replace them.
Defensive ends Rueben Bain Jr. (15th pick - 1st round, Tampa Bay) and Akheem Mesidor (22nd pick - 1st round, LA Chargers)
I’ll start here because Bain and Mesidor leave behind the biggest shoes to fill. The dynamic duo combined for 22 sacks last season and routinely took over games in the biggest moments.
I don’t believe either one has a direct replacement, but Miami can make up the production by committee. It starts with former Mizzou Tiger Damon Wilson II. He registered a career high nine sacks last season and can anchor the defensive end room as an accomplished senior. Wilson had a strong spring with Miami and looks primed to start on the right end. Opposite Wilson, I expect heavy competition between Marquise Lightfoot, Armondo Blount, and Hayden Lowe, with Herbert Scroggins III and Booker Pickett Jr. also very much in the picture. Blount and Lightfoot each recorded two and a half sacks last year. This room is deep; they just lack experience beyond Wilson.
Meanwhile, improved play from the interior defensive line can help the edge rushers. Returning starters Ahmad Moten Sr. and Justin Scott both peaked in the playoffs last year and are expected to elevate their play even further.
The blue chip ratio on Miami’s defensive line is off the charts. Wilson, Scott, Lightfoot, and Blount were all five star recruits when they came out of high school.
The defensive line should be a strength of the team again in 2026.
Quarterback Carson Beck (3rd round, Arizona)
Miami hit a grand slam by acquiring Darian Mensah in the Transfer Portal. For as excellent as Beck was last year, Mensah has an even higher ceiling. The former Duke Blue Devil was second nationally with 3,973 passing yards. His touchdown to interception ratio was an elite 34-6. He put up those numbers with fewer weapons than what he’ll have at his disposal in Coral Gables.
Mensah has mobility and escapability that make him a perfect fit in Shannon Dawson’s offense. In watching Darian in spring ball, it’s clear he’s building chemistry with his new teammates while enhancing his rapport with fellow former Blue Devil Cooper Barkate.
Mensah has first round potential and has found himself on the short-list of Heisman Trophy contenders. Miami has upgraded at QB.
Wide receivers CJ Daniels (6th round, LA Rams) and Keelan Marion (UFA, Atlanta Falcons)
Daniels and Marion both proved to be phenomenal additions last season and each played an important role in Miami’s playoff run. The Hurricanes have replaced them effectively. Cooper Barkate comes over from Duke after an 1,100 yard season, joining Malachi Toney as the most prolific duo of returning receivers in America.
The Canes also added Vandrevius Jacobs from South Carolina and Cam Vaughn from West Virginia. Each produced over 540 receiving yards in 2025. They’ll compete with second year X-receiver Joshua Moore for a starting job. Expect all three to play. Barkate is the likely starter at Z-receiver. With Toney anchoring the slot, Miami’s WR room looks better on paper than it has in decades.
Offensive linemen Francis Mauigoa (10th pick - 1st round, NY Giants), Markel Bell (3rd round, Philadelphia), Anez Cooper (6th round, NY Jets), James Brockermeyer (UFA, Atlanta)
How Miami replaces FOUR departing offensive line starters could very well make or break their championship ambitions this season. The talent is there, but can they consistently play as a unit with the “five men, one mind” mentality needed for an OL to find success?
Expect true freshman phenom Jackson Cantwell to step into the starting left tackle job. He excelled during spring ball and gave me confidence he can protect his QBs blind side this season. The key for Cantwell will be finding the type of consistency that true freshmen rarely find in their debut season.
I expect the rest of the starting OL to feature Samson Okunlola at left guard, Ryan Rodriguez at center, Max Buchanan at right guard, with Matt McCoy at right tackle. Rodriguez enters his sixth year after terrible luck with past injuries. He can be one of the team’s best comeback stories in 2026.
Okunlola and Cantwell are former five star recruits. Buchanan was a four star. The talent oozes from this OL room, but making a seamless transition from 2025 won’t be easy.
Defensive backs Keionte Scott (4th round, Tampa Bay) and Jakobe Thomas (3rd round, Minnesota)
These two transfers both far exceeded the expectations we had for them in 2025. Scott is one of the toughest players on this roster to replace due to his versatility and unique fit in the nickel corner role within Corey Hetherman’s defense. Miami could choose to play the nickel by committee, but Boston College transfer Omar Thornton seems best suited to fill his role. I’ve described Thornton’s performance during spring football as being “all over the field.” He’s a live wire, and he hits hard. He was one of the few bright spots on an awful Boston College team last year. We could also see fourth year corner Damari Brown get some work in at nickel.
As for the starting safety job left behind by Thomas, Bryce Fitzgerald can fill that role expertly. Fitzgerald flashed last season as a true freshman, leading the Hurricanes with six interceptions and earning Freshman All-American honors. Bryce can pair well with returning starting safety Zechariah Poyser. Miami has continuity at their starting cornerback spots, with OJ Frederique and Xavier Lucas returning for their junior seasons.
The Final Word
The Hurricanes have what it takes to reload. The offensive line will face questions, but the playmaking abilities at QB, WR, and RB (with every tailback returning from last season) can take some pressure off as they build chemistry.
The defense could lose some punch from the edges, but can compensate within the interior.
The players who step into their new starting roles must show the hunger and desire to succeed like their predecessors did.
Is Miami back? We’ll soon find out.
