The Miami Hurricanes may have turned heads with a historic turnaround and a loaded recruiting haul, but the ACC coaches still put them behind three familiar powers in the preseason pecking order.
Miami landed fourth in the conference preseason poll with 753 points and one first-place vote, placing the Hurricanes behind Duke, Virginia and Louisville as the 2026-27 season approaches.
Duke sat on top once again with 861 points and 45 first-place votes. The Blue Devils remain the ACC’s gold standard, owning 15 league titles since 1999.
Even after losing Cam Boozer to the Memphis Grizzlies with the No. 3 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, Duke hardly looks short on firepower. Jon Scheyer also brought back key pieces from last season in sophomore Dame Sarr, junior center Patrick Ngongba and sophomore Cayden Boozer, while adding two five-star freshmen in forward/center Cameron Williams and guard Deron Rippey Jr.
Virginia checked in second with 778 points and one first-place vote. The Cavaliers are coming off a 30-6 season, including a 15-3 mark in ACC play, and fell to Duke 74-70 in the championship game. Ryan Odom kept three of the team’s top scorers from last season - sophomore Thijs De Ridder, senior Sa Lewis and sophomore Chance Mallory - and added four transfers along with one freshman recruit.
Louisville followed closely at third with 758 points and one first-place vote. Pat Kelsey kept the Cardinals busy in the portal, landing seven transfers, including former Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras, who hit the game-winning corner three-pointer to help the Hawkeyes upset Florida in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Miami’s case starts with Jai Lucas, whose reputation as a recruiter is already showing up in Coral Gables. After spending time around NBA-level talent as an assistant at Kentucky and Duke, Lucas has started building a roster with serious upside. He brought in Shelton Henderson, a five-star recruit and former Duke commit, and the sophomore forward is expected to take a big leap.
The Hurricanes also added eight transfers, including guard Acaden Lewis, center Somto Cyril - the SEC shot-blocking leader - and forward DeSean Goode, the Horizon League Player of the Year.
Lucas added another five-star piece closer to home too, landing former Christopher Columbus High School forward Caleb Gaskins, who is viewed as a potential one-and-done prospect. Miami’s talent base is obvious. The preseason poll just isn’t convinced enough to put the Hurricanes any higher - at least not yet.
In Other News...
Darian Mensah Is Keeping Miami In A Huge 2027 Draft Conversation
Following Week 6 of the college football season, the 2027 quarterback picture is starting to sharpen, and Miami fans have reason to keep an eye on it. Updated rankings have begun sorting out the early mix of top passers, with Dante Moore still sidelined by concussion issues, CJ Carr drawing praise for his work at Notre Dame, and Arch Manning taking a hit after a rough outing against Oklahoma.
Darian Mensah is part of that broader conversation, a sign that the Hurricanes are tracking more than just their own depth chart when it comes to future quarterback buzz. He is listed alongside other rising names such as Julian Sayin, Drew Mestemaker, Trinidad Chambliss, Jayden Maiava and LaNorris Sellers, and the larger takeaway for Miami is simple: the quarterback market for that draft class is already taking shape, even if plenty of the final order is still there to be decided. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Secondary Suddenly Has An FSU Twist Fans Should Notice
Miamis defense has been forced to adapt on the fly as injuries have thinned the secondary, but the Hurricanes have also found some silver linings in the process. Safety Zechariah Poyser has pointed to the value of cross-training, and that kind of flexibility has started to show in the way depth players are getting real game experience and settling into larger roles.
Rynn Mack and Dylan Day have emerged as new contributors, giving Miami more options as it prepares for the next stretch of games. With Xavier Lucas and Damari Brown back in the mix, the Hurricanes are expecting to lean into more varied defensive packages, a sign that this group may look a little different than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Miami's Biggest FSU Test Could Decide How This Rivalry Unfolds
Miami heads into its ACC rivalry game with Florida State in a rare spot of clear control, backed by one of the countrys most efficient offenses and a defense that has been especially firm against the run. Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney have helped give the Hurricanes the kind of balance that can make a favorite feel imposing, while Corey Hethermans unit has built its edge around forcing opponents away from the ground game and into uncomfortable territory.
Florida State brings a different kind of challenge, though, one built on rushing volume and quarterback movement through Ousmane Kromah and Ashton Daniels. For Miami, the game may come down to whether it can keep the Seminoles from dictating tempo and turning the matchup into a physical, downhill fight. Hetherman has made the run defense message plain, and the way the Hurricanes handle that part of the night could shape more than just one result in this rivalry. [Read more 🡒]