Armed with a revamped roster and elite transfer talent, the Miami Hurricanes look to end a 22-year conference title drought and reclaim national dominance.
Miami, FL. – The Miami Hurricanes have one of the richest histories in college football. They have appeared in 43 Bowl games, two Heisman Trophy winners, 552 total weeks of being ranked in the Associated Press’ top-25 list, 400 players drafted, nine Big East conference titles, and five National Championships. However, the program's trajectory changed after joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004. They only had double-digit winning seasons and never made the College Football Playoffs until this past year.
The Hurricanes have yet to win an ACC Football Championship, but that’s expected to change after landing quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Cooper Barkate through the transfer portal. They successfully revamped the roster, despite key departures, looking to carve out another National Championship run, but with different results.
In Tuesday’s edition of the Pat McAfee, ESPN’s College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit believes the Hurricanes have a legitimate chance to win the ultimate prize this upcoming season.
“I think Miami might be the team to win it all this year,” he said.
The Hurricanes are the early favorites to win the ACC, which would provide an automatic bid into the College Football Playoffs, likely a first-round bye. They successfully revamped the roster throughout the offseason, but Mensah is the biggest piece to the puzzle.
The 21-year-old is coming off an All-ACC caliber season: completing 334 of 500 passes, 66.8 completion percentage, and leading the ACC by throwing 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns, including six interceptions, starting in all 14 games. He delivered the Duke program its first ACC Football Championship since 1989.
Mensah is expected to take another jump in production, potentially surpassing Cam Ward and Carson Beck’s impact.
The program lost several key players to the 2026 NFL Draft, including All-American right tackle Francis Mauigoa, edge rushers Akheem Mesidor and All-American Rueben Bain Jr., and three other offensive line starters. Regardless, the Hurricanes have the pieces to fill in the voids.
Coach Mario Cristobal has successfully rebuilt the Coral Gables program, establishing a new winning foundation and standard. They retained key players for next season, such as homegrown star running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and Malachi Toney.
The Hurricanes have all the intangibles on both sides of the field to compete among the best in the nation. However, it starts with winning the ACC, which is a focus for the upcoming season, University of Miami Athletic Director Dan Radakovich mentioned in an exclusive interview.
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