Miami’s 2025 season felt like something out of a dream - the kind of run that puts a program back on the national map in a big way. The Hurricanes tore through the College Football Playoff, knocking off Texas A&M in the opening round, outlasting No.
2 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, and then taking down Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl. Sure, the journey ended with a loss to Indiana in the title game, but by then, the message was clear: Miami is back in the national conversation, and they’re not just visiting.
Now, the early 2026 outlook suggests that wasn’t a one-time spark - it might be the start of something bigger.
According to ESPN’s way-too-early College Football Playoff projections, Miami is slotted in as the No. 8 seed - two spots higher than where they entered last year’s postseason. That bump may not seem massive on paper, but it’s a clear sign of how the Hurricanes are being viewed nationally. Respect is earned in January, and Miami cashed in.
Here’s how the projected CFP field stacks up:
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Texas Tech
- Notre Dame
- USC
- Texas A&M
- Ohio State
- Miami
- Oregon
- Texas
- Oklahoma State
- Hawai‘i
That projection sets up a first-round showdown between No. 9 Oregon and No.
8 Miami - a matchup loaded with storylines. Most notably, it opens the door for a potential rematch with No.
1 Indiana in the next round, if Miami advances. And let’s not ignore the Mario Cristobal angle: facing Oregon, his former team, in a playoff game?
That’s about as juicy as it gets.
ESPN does have Oregon edging Miami in that projected matchup, but the bigger takeaway here is that Miami is being penciled in as a playoff team - not a dark horse, not a long shot, but a legitimate contender. That kind of national recognition doesn’t come easy, and it speaks volumes about the direction of the program under Cristobal.
There’s more reason for optimism in Coral Gables.
ESPN also has Miami winning the ACC - a bold prediction considering how wide open the conference has been lately. Last season, Duke took home the conference title and SMU crashed the playoff party. The ACC has been anything but predictable, but Miami is being tabbed as the team to beat heading into 2026.
That confidence isn’t without reason. The Hurricanes return key offensive weapons, including running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and wide receiver Malachi Toney - two playmakers who made their presence felt during last season’s playoff surge. And while there’s a change at quarterback, the staff is high on Duke transfer Darian Mensah, who’s expected to step in and take the reins of the offense.
There are still questions, of course. Can Miami sustain its momentum with a new quarterback?
Will the defense hold up against some of the ACC’s more explosive offenses? And can the Hurricanes handle the pressure of being the hunted, not the hunter?
But for now, the outlook is promising. Miami isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore - they’re officially in the mix. And if they can build on last year’s success, the Hurricanes might not just be back - they might be here to stay.