Pick Six Previews is all-in on Miami for 2026, and the magazine’s latest projections make that clear from the top of the ACC all the way down the roster.
Brett Ciancia’s publication has Miami sitting No. 3 in its Power Four Rankings, trailing only Ohio State and Oregon. Pick Six Previews projects the Hurricanes to reach the College Football Playoff, win the ACC for the first time in program history, earn a bye, and then draw either Ole Miss or Indiana in the quarterfinals.
The individual honors follow the same pattern. Wide receiver Malachi Toney landed on the first team, running back Mark Fletcher made third team, and defensive tackle Ahmad Moten was placed on the fourth team in P6P’s Preseason All-American selections. Quarterback Darian Mensah was named the first-team All-Transfer Team quarterback, while defensive end Damon Wilson earned first-team defensive honors.
Miami’s unit rankings are just as strong. Every group except one is inside the national top 10, according to the magazine: quarterback at No. 5, running backs at No. 5, pass catchers at No. 2, offensive line at No. 8, defensive line at No. 4, and defensive backs at No. 7.
Within the ACC, Pick Six Previews has Miami separated from the pack. The Hurricanes are ranked first in the league at quarterback, running back, pass catchers, offensive line, defensive line, and defensive backs. The linebacker room comes in at No. 3 in the conference, behind Clemson and Louisville.
That dominance shows up in the All-ACC teams too. Mensah, Fletcher, Toney, and transfer wide receiver Cooper Barkate were first-team picks on offense. On defense, Moten, safety Bryce Fitzgerald, and cornerback Xavier Lucas all made the first team.
Miami’s seven first-team selections are the most in the ACC by a wide margin. Louisville is next with four.
The rest of the All-League list is filled out by more Hurricanes. Offensive linemen Samson Okunlola and Matthew McCoy, defensive tackle Justin Scott, and linebacker Mo Toure were named to the second team. True freshman offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell, safety Zechariah Poyser, and Wilson were third-team selections.
Altogether, Miami had 14 players recognized as All-League performers by the publication.
Pick Six Previews also laid out the Hurricanes’ ACC schedule and it comes with some help. Miami’s conference opponents, ranked by P6P out of 17 teams, are Stanford (17), Wake Forest (T-12), Clemson (4), Florida State (10), Pittsburgh (T-8), North Carolina (14), Duke (T-12), Virginia Tech (5), and Boston College (17).
Six of those nine league games come against teams in the back half of the conference standings, including five of the bottom six. Miami does face two top-five teams, but it avoids the No. 2 and No. 3 programs in the league, Louisville and SMU, the same two teams that beat the Hurricanes in the regular season in 2025.
Ciancia said the setup may look unusual because Miami still has not won the conference title game, but he still sees the Hurricanes as the league’s standard-bearer. “It seems odd since they still haven't won the conference title game," Ciancia wrote.
"But Miami is the new ACC dynasty program. The talent that [Mario] Cristobal has stockpiled is head and shoulders above the rest of the league, and they are my pick to win the ACC, and make another Playoff run in January."
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Miami Just Landed The Kind Of Tackle Fans Have Been Waiting For
Miamis 2028 recruiting class already has a headline piece in Kweli Fielder, the four-star offensive tackle who has drawn early national attention and landed at No. 25 overall in ESPNs first SC Next Jr. 300 for the junior class. For a program that always sells the line of scrimmage, getting a player with Fielders profile this early is the kind of move that can shape how the class is viewed long before the cycle really heats up.
Fielder made his commitment on June 24, and the timing only adds to the buzz because he chose to lock in with the Hurricanes before even playing a single junior-season snap. Miami also gets a built-in layer of familiarity here, with Fielder linked to teammate and cousin CJ Cypher, another recent pledge to the Hurricanes, giving this recruiting win a family thread that could matter as the class keeps coming together. [Read more 🡒]
Another SEC Contender Just Got A Portal Boost LSU Fans Will Notice
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One of the biggest reasons for that buzz is the way Miami has paired quarterback help with playmakers and pass-rush upside, giving the roster a much different look as the offseason takes shape. The class is also notable for how efficient it has been, with the Hurricanes landing in the top tier of every ranking while making one of the smallest transfer hauls among the teams featured, a sign that the staff is targeting quality over volume. [Read more 🡒]
These Quarterbacks Will Put Miamis Defense Under Real Pressure
The ACC quarterback gauntlet is shaping up to be one of the more demanding parts of Miamis season, with a handful of passers on the schedule who have already shown they can stress a defense in different ways. Daniels brings proven playmaking and a receiver group that can punish mistakes, while Vizzina, Grunkemeyer and Heintschel each offer a mix of upside and recent production that makes them more than just developmental names on a preview sheet.
Carr may end up being the one Miami circles first, though, because the matchup comes with the added concern of a more explosive Notre Dame passing attack and better weapons around him. For a Hurricanes defense trying to establish itself over the course of the year, these are the kinds of quarterbacks that can turn a solid performance into a long afternoon, and the schedule does not exactly leave much room to ease into that challenge. [Read more 🡒]