Miami is back in the top three, and the timing lines up perfectly with a rivalry week that already carries extra buzz around Hard Rock Stadium.
The Hurricanes climbed one spot to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 after the bye week, picking up 1,594 points and two of 70 first-place votes in Sunday’s release. Georgia holds the top spot after its 20-17 win at Alabama, with Notre Dame at No.
2, Ohio State at No. 4 and Indiana at No. 5.
That rise came with some good news on the injury front, too. Mario Cristobal said Monday on WQAM's Joe Rose Show that EDGE Marquise Lightfoot, CB Xavier Lucas, CB Damari Brown and LB Ezekiel Marcelin are all the way back and fully cleared. Cristobal said it’s the healthiest the defense has been since the opener against Stanford.
The one major exception remains right guard Max Buchanan. He started all five games there before suffering a left-leg injury against Clemson, and Cristobal said he’ll be out for an extended stretch.
"Hopefully, he'll join us later in the year," Cristobal said. Buchanan also posted, then deleted, a photo of himself in a hospital bed during the bye week.
Now the focus shifts to Florida State, which comes to Miami at 7 p.m. Saturday for a home matchup at Hard Rock Stadium. The Seminoles are 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the ACC after a 44-20 loss at Louisville, a game in which they let an early lead slip away and kept their road struggles going.
Around the conference, Wake Forest entered the rankings at No. 21, while SMU stayed in at No. 24.
The Hurricanes also have a major recruiting spotlight attached to this weekend. Miami will host 2028 five-star wide receiver Brysen Wright, the No. 1 overall prospect in the class, for the Florida State game. By the looks of it, this is set to be one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the year.
There was more action across the program over the weekend. Miami volleyball beat Georgia Tech 3-2 in five sets Sunday, extending its win streak to five and moving to 7-8 overall and 5-1 in the ACC. The Hurricanes had already swept NC State and beaten Wake Forest and Clemson during the homestand.
Miami soccer also battled to a 0-0 draw with No. 4 Wake Forest on Saturday.
The Hurricanes played with 10 players for more than 52 minutes, and goalkeeper Atlee Olofson made four saves. Miami is now 8-3-2 overall and 3-2-1 in ACC play.
In the NFL, ProCanes turned in a mixed Week 5. Titans quarterback Cam Ward went 23 of 36 for 170 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in a 26-3 home loss to the Texans, and he was sacked four times. For the season, Ward has 896 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau entered Monday night’s game at the Rams second in the NFL with six sacks. Giants offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa started again at right guard in New York’s 27-27 tie with the Washington Commanders.
Miami’s men’s basketball schedule is also taking shape. The Hurricanes open Nov. 2 against Florida in Tampa at 6 p.m. on ESPN2, then host Wagner on Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. on ACC Network. Other announced games include a Dec. 2 home meeting with Alabama at 9:15 p.m. on ESPN and a Dec. 12 neutral-site game against Texas in Houston at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.
In Other News...
Bryce Fitzgerald Could Change Miamis Secondary At The Perfect Time
With Miami dealing with health issues on defense, Bryce Fitzgerald has become one of the more interesting moving pieces in the secondary. The move from safety to cornerback has given the Hurricanes another option at a spot that has needed help, and the staff has already pointed to his versatility and the way he has handled the switch as reasons he has stayed in the mix.
The timing matters because reinforcements may be on the way, with Xavier Lucas expected back for the upcoming game against Florida State. Even so, Fitzgeralds emergence gives Miami something it can carry into a rivalry game and beyond, especially if the Hurricanes want more flexibility when injuries force them to keep shuffling the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Has A Rival Chance To Prove The Numbers Mean Something
Florida State heads into this matchup facing a familiar kind of pressure: a rivalry stage with a lot of numbers pointing in one direction and a lot of questions about whether they will hold up when the game starts. The analysis around the game has centered on how the Seminoles stack up offensively and defensively, with the comparison showing clear disparities and a few key individual battles likely to shape the flow of the night.
Ahmmon Richards, the former Hurricanes wide receiver, added another layer to the discussion by pointing to the challenge Florida State faces against the opposing offense and defense. For Miami fans, that makes this more than just another rivalry game on the calendar - it is a chance to see whether the statistical edge translates into something real on the field, and whether the matchup looks as lopsided as it appears on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Emerging For Elite Lineman Fans Will Want To Watch
The recruiting buzz around Miami keeps growing, and this one comes with a name worth remembering. Maui Tonata, a highly ranked 2028 offensive tackle from Utah, has already made two trips to campus, and the Hurricanes appear to be in a strong position as they try to plant an early flag with one of the nations more intriguing young linemen. Recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong has even logged a prediction with 60% confidence that Tonata will end up in Coral Gables.
For Miami, the appeal is easy to see. Tonata has said he is interested in attending an East Coast school, and he has singled out the Hurricanes coaching staff and facilities in his look at the program. Miami also currently sits at the top of the recruiting prediction metrics for Tonata, which makes this one worth tracking as the process develops. [Read more 🡒]