Mario Cristobal’s rise at Miami has reached the point where even Paul Finebaum is willing to tip his cap.
With the 2026 college football season nearing and fall camp underway, the Hurricanes are trying to show that last year’s breakthrough was not a one-off. Under Cristobal, Miami has moved from occasional relevance to steady contention, and the pressure now is less about getting there and more about staying there.
Cristobal arrived at his alma mater before the 2022 season, taking over a program that had managed just one double-digit-win campaign since 2003. Since then, Miami has stacked back-to-back double-digit-win seasons, and the 2025 run was the one that changed the conversation.
The Hurricanes finished 13-3, earned their first College Football Playoff berth in program history and then made a stunning march through the bracket. They knocked off the Texas A&M Aggies, the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes and the Ole Miss Rebels before falling 27-21 to the Indiana Hoosiers in the national championship game.
On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the SEC Network analyst was asked about Cristobal entering 2026, and he made it clear that his view of the coach has shifted.
"I've always liked him, "Finebaum said. "He's been frustrating to be a fan of because he's had a couple of close calls where I really wondered whether he would ever get it done.
He was on a roll at Oregon, but when Miami came calling, I don't need to give you the back story... it would be impossible to say no to. I doubted a couple of years ago that he would be able to get this done, but he finally hit the right switch, and I give him credit for that."
That’s the backdrop for Miami heading into 2026: Cristobal has shown he can assemble a roster and push the Hurricanes into the sport’s top tier, but now the expectation is bigger than a playoff appearance. Miami is trying to win the whole thing.
The real test is whether last season marked the start of a new standard or simply the high point of Cristobal’s tenure. Finebaum’s take is that Cristobal has finally earned some breathing room. The Hurricanes now have to show they can keep the momentum going.
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Now, after going undrafted and signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Orlando Magic, Reneau is pursuing the possibility of another college season following a recent court ruling that opened the door for certain athletes to regain eligibility. The move raises an intriguing question for Miami circles: if that path stays open, would the Hurricanes have a place for a player who already proved he can change the look of a team in one year? [Read more 🡒]