Miami’s path to blowing past expectations starts with the kind of roster balance most programs can only dream about. The Hurricanes are bringing back the all-time College Football Playoff leading rusher, and he wasn’t even fully healthy until the playoff run. Mark Fletcher Jr. leads a running back room that also includes Jordan Lyle, a speed threat who was Miami’s No. 1 back before getting hurt in the first game of the season against Notre Dame, plus Giriad Pringle Jr. and ChaMar Brown, another explosive sophomore with SEC interest in the transfer portal after the championship game.
That depth gives Miami a real chance to keep defenses on their heels, but the bigger story is that the Hurricanes are no longer trying to figure out who they are on either side of the ball. Shannon Dawson helped unlock the offense, while the addition of defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman was the other major shift.
Both coaches now have new contracts, which gives Miami more continuity and more time for their systems to settle in with a roster that has another year of experience. That stability is a big reason the Hurricanes keep showing up in the top 10 on offense and defense.
Mario Cristobal’s growth is part of the equation too. He’s entering his fifth year leading the program, and the rough early moments - Middle Tennessee, the Georgia Tech loss in 2022, and the inability to beat Louisville - are no longer hanging over everything the same way they once did.
His clock management has improved, the way he coaches is accepted, and the locker room and staff are fully aligned. He’s also stacked up major wins and remains undefeated against SEC competition, 5-0, since returning to Miami.
The only thing missing is the ring to match the résumé and settle his self-proclaimed debt to the university.
The Hurricanes also have star power at the top end. Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney are being talked about as two of the best players in college football, with both capable of ending up as Heisman finalists.
The source points to the 2020 Alabama pairing of Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith as the kind of blueprint Miami could follow. If that kind of season plays out in Coral Gables, both Mensah and Toney could be first-round picks, and Toney would become the first Hurricane to win the Heisman Trophy since Gino Torretta in 1992.
Mensah could also join the list of quarterbacks who have taken home the award.
Defensively, Miami is not starting over. The secondary and linebacking corps are almost unchanged from last season, and while the Hurricanes did lose edge-rushing talent in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they have replacements who already logged plenty of snaps a year ago. That matters because the defense is expected to look a lot like it did last season.
The real swing factor is the offense’s ceiling. Miami leaned on the run last year and got close to trophy No. 6, but the losses all came back to the quarterback play.
Mensah, the source argues, brings more Cam Ward than Carson Beck. If Miami gets close to 40 points per game, and the defense stays near last year’s level, the Hurricanes have the kind of profile that can beat anybody.
And that’s the challenge staring them down again: the only thing that can stop Miami from exceeding expectations might be Miami itself. The program has lived with that truth for two straight seasons. Now it’s trying to change it.
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With Keionte Scott out of that spot, Miami has been sorting through options and Fitzgerald is part of that conversation because he is comfortable moving around and brings a sturdier frame than he did a year ago. Boston College transfer Omar Thornton was projected there in spring practice, but Fitzgeralds development gives the Hurricanes another intriguing path as they look to settle a key piece of the defense. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Suddenly Has A New Florida Recruiting Battle To Watch
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Why Miami Fans Should Be Wary Of Belichick's UNC In 2026
Bill Belichicks first year at North Carolina did not bring the kind of immediate lift Tar Heel fans imagined, and the buildup to 2026 already looks like a tougher test. UNC finished 4-8, sits just 27th in recruiting and 33rd when the portal is folded in, and now has to navigate a schedule that should tell a lot about where the program really stands under a coach whose name still carries enormous weight.
The bigger concern for Miami fans is how quickly that pressure could turn into urgency in Chapel Hill. UNC brings back only 44% of its production, has a new athletic director in place, and faces the kind of expensive contract situation that can make patience harder to find if the results do not improve. With a new quarterback battle looming and a daunting slate ahead, the Tar Heels could be dangerous in 2026, but they could also be one bad season away from a much louder conversation. [Read more 🡒]