Miami battled for a national title last season. Can they reload with new talent and make another championship run in 2026?
Miami is coming off of one of their best seasons since the early 2000's and head coach Mario Cristobal has this unit rolling. In the last two seasons, they've won 23 games, lost six and played for the national title in 2025. It was the Hurricanes first appearance in the playoffs in the College Football Playoff era and it didn't disappoint. They beat No. 7 Texas A&M on the road in the first round, defeated the No. 2 ranked Ohio State in the quarterfinals and No. 6 ranked Ole Miss in the semi finals.
They fell short in the national title game against the No. 1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers. Now, Cristobal and the Hurricanes look ahead to the 2026 season. Players who played integral roles in their run to the title game have moved onto the NFL, but key returners combined with impact portal acquisitions put Miami in the position to make another run in the playoffs.
Let's take a look at the Hurricanes.
2025 Record: 13-3 (Lost 27-21 to Indiana in the National Championship)
2024 Record: 10-3 (Lost 42-41 to Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl)
Miami Offense
Starters Returning - RB Mark Fletcher, WR Malachi Toney, TE Elija Lofton, LG Matthew McCoy
Starters Lost - QB Carson Beck, WR CJ Daniels, WR Keelon Marion, LT Markel Bell, C James Brockermeyer, RG Anez Cooper, RT Francis Mauigoa
Combined with their pick ups in the transfer portal, Miami's skilled positions are in a great spot. Fletcher (216 att., 1,192 yards, 5.5 YPC, 12 TD) returns to the backfield along with CharMar Brown who rushed for 474 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Their offensive star at receiver, Toney (109 rec., 1,211 yards, 11.1 YPC, 10 TD), returns as one of the best wideouts ahead of the 2026 season. Lofton (23 rec., 218 yards, 9.5 YPC, 3 TD) had a quiet season at tight end in 2025 but is poised for a breakout in 2026.
The biggest question mark with this offense is the offensive line. They lost four of their five starters to the draft with McCoy (28 career starts) being the only returning starter. They only picked up one offensive lineman out of the portal, so the Hurricanes will be relying on their younger talent on the roster to step in and fill the void left by veterans. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson has loads of skilled talent to work with, if they can hold up in the trenches, Miami will be another playoff team in 2026.
Miami Defense
Starters Returning - DT Ahmad Moten, DT Justin Scott, LB Mohammed Toure, CB Xavier Lucas, CB OJ Frederique, S Zechariah Poyser
Starters Lost - DE Rueben Bain, DE Akeem Mesidor, LB Wesley Bissainthe, NB Keionte Scott, S Jakobe Thomas
The Hurricanes bring back important pieces at every level of their defense. They bring back both of their defensive tackles in Moten and Scott from last season who combined for 5.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for a loss and 57 tackles. Losing Bain (54 tackles, 9.5 sacks) and Mesidor (63 tackles, 12.5 sacks) is a loss, but Marquise Lightfoot (25 tackles, 2.5 sacks) is set to take on a bigger role along with their exceptional portal pickup at defensive end.
Toure (84 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 6 passes defended) returns for his 8th season of college football to anchor the defense. They also return both of their outside cornerbacks in Lucas (45 tackles, 8 passes defended, 1 INT) and Frederique (19 tackles, 7 passes defended). Miami is one of the few playoff teams from 2025 that return both of their starting corners. They also bring back Poyser (68 tackles, 5 passes defended) at safety.
Portal Additions
Top Transfers - Offense: QB Darien Mensah (Duke), WR Cooper Barkate (Duke), WR Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina), OL Jamal Meriweather (Georgia)
Top Transfers - Defense: EDGE Damon Wilson II (Missouri), DT Jarquez Carter (Ohio State), DT Keona Davis (Nebraska), S Omar Thornton (Boston College)
The portal will, once again, play a major factor in Miami's overall success. This is the third season in a row they've brought in a portal quarterback. Mensah (334-500, 66.8%, 3,978 yards, 7.9 YPA, 34 TD, 6 INT, 153.6 Rating) comes over from Duke and is joined by his leading receiver Barkate (72 rec., 1,106 yards, 15.4 YPC, 7 TD). They also brought in Jacobs (32 rec., 548 yards, 17.1 YPC, 4 TD) from South Carolina.
Defensively, they brought in Wilson (23 tackles, 9.0 tackles) from Missouri who finished 2025 with 9.5 tackles for a loss, 54 total pressures and 17 hits plus sacks on the quarterback in 2025. Carter (1 tackle) and Davis (32 tackles, 1.5 sacks) were also solid pickups from Ohio State and Nebraska. Thornton (82 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 INT) was one of Boston College's most productive defensive players.
2026 Recruiting Class Ranking: No. 8 Rivals/On3 - No. 9 247Sports
2026 SCHEDULE
Notre Dame 2026 Opponent Previews:
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