Miami LB Raul Aguirre Jr. Enters Transfer Portal After Breakout Season
Raul Aguirre Jr., one of the more promising young linebackers in the ACC, is heading to the NCAA transfer portal after a productive 2025 campaign with the Miami Hurricanes.
Aguirre, a former four-star recruit out of Fayetteville, Georgia, played in all 16 games this past season for the Hurricanes and finished with 43 total tackles. He added two tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry-solid numbers that reflect his growing impact on a defense that helped guide Miami to the national championship game.
And it wasn’t just mop-up duty or garbage time stats. Aguirre was a key piece in Miami’s postseason rotation.
Over the Hurricanes’ four College Football Playoff games, he totaled 10 tackles. He made his presence felt early with four tackles in the opening-round win over Texas A&M, followed by three more against Ohio State.
He chipped in two tackles during the semifinal win over Ole Miss, and capped off the run with one stop in the national title game against Indiana.
While he didn’t light up the box score in that final, Aguirre’s steady presence throughout the playoff stretch spoke volumes about his role on a team playing at the highest level of college football.
His regular season had its moments too. Aguirre’s biggest statistical performances came in the season opener against Notre Dame and in ACC play versus Syracuse-games where he showed flashes of sideline-to-sideline range and a nose for the ball that had Miami fans excited about his future.
That future, however, now looks like it will unfold elsewhere.
Aguirre’s progression at Miami has been steady and upward. As a true freshman in 2023, he appeared in all 13 games, primarily on special teams, and logged seven tackles.
In 2024, his role expanded-he played in 10 games, recorded 27 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and notched his first career sack. Then came 2025, where he became a full-time contributor and proved he could hang with the best in the country.
So why the move? One factor could be the return of veteran linebacker Mohamed Toure, who is set to play his eighth college season in 2026.
Yes, eighth. Toure redshirted in 2019, played during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, and missed two full years due to ACL injuries while at Rutgers.
He’s now back and healthy, and his return adds another experienced body to a deep linebacker room.
For Aguirre, the writing may have been on the wall. He’s already proven he can contribute on a national title contender, and now he’s likely looking for a bigger role-one where he’s not just in the rotation, but leading it. With his physical tools, instincts, and a résumé that includes playoff experience, he should have no shortage of suitors.
Wherever he lands, Aguirre is poised to make an impact. He’s the kind of player who’s clearly ready for more responsibility, and his next stop could be the launching pad to an even bigger stage.