The Miami Hurricanes may be reaching a point where the transfer portal quarterback lane just isn’t as inviting as it used to be.
For three straight seasons, Miami has gotten real mileage out of veteran passers who arrived from elsewhere. But that path looks a lot less certain now, and Mario Cristobal seems prepared to lean harder on the quarterbacks already in the building and the ones coming in next.
Cristobal hinted at that shift during the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Kickoff Media Day in mid-July, and the market only seems to back him up. The group of quarterbacks who have already locked in new N.I.L. deals and are set to stay put for the 2027 college football season includes Kamario Taylor of Mississippi State, who is tied to a $7.5 million deal, along with Austin Simmons of Missouri and Braden Atkinson of Oregon State.
If any of those names somehow became available, Miami would almost certainly take a look. But the bigger names that have been floated - Dante Moore of Oregon and Arch Manning of Texas - feel like long shots, especially with both eligible for the NFL.
The rest of the projected field doesn’t exactly jump off the page either. Marcel Reed of Texas A&M, CJ Bailey of North Carolina State, Aaron Philo of Florida and Bryce Underwood of Michigan are among the other names mentioned, but none of that group changes the picture much.
Wake Forest quarterback Gio Lopez would be the one option that could really move the needle if he were available. He has completed 153 of 228 passes for a 67.1 percent completion rate, with 2,176 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception. But that door may already be closing, since Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert has reportedly agreed to an extension on Thursday.
That makes it harder to see Lopez leaving the stability that’s now in place.
With the portal looking thin, Miami can turn inward. Redshirt freshman Luke Nickel is the backup this season behind star Darian Mensah, and he’s already flashed in limited action. Nickel has played in four games, but his best showing came in the Hurricanes’ 77-7 win over Florida A&M on Sept. 10 at Hard Rock Stadium, when he went 8-for-8 for 144 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
Freshman Dereon Coleman, a former three-star recruit, is the third-string quarterback. The 19-year-old has appeared only against Florida A&M this season, and all of those snaps came in the fourth quarter. He finished 5-for-6 for 30 yards.
Judd Anderson, a redshirt sophomore, is currently on the practice squad and is likely to enter the transfer portal in Janurary.
Miami also has five-star commit Israel Abrams in the pipeline. He is projected as an incoming freshman and will become official on December’s National Signing Day.
In Other News...
Miami Win Exposed A Problem Hurricanes Fans Can't Ignore
Miami kept rolling with a 36-25 win over Duke at Hard Rock Stadium, moving to 9-1 overall and staying unbeaten in ACC play. Javian Mallory powered the offense with 71 rushing yards and three touchdowns, Cooper Barkate added 134 receiving yards, and Darian Mensah was sharp through the air, throwing for 382 yards without an interception.
Even with the result in hand, the game exposed an issue Hurricanes fans have seen too often: the defense had trouble creating pressure and never really solved Duke's Nate Sheppard, who piled up 240 yards of total offense. Miami also hurt itself with 10 penalties, the kind of sloppiness that can be brushed aside in November if the wins keep coming, but becomes a much bigger concern once the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Miami May Have Found A Dangerous New Offensive Gear
Miamis offense kept humming at the Watsco Center, where the Hurricanes rolled past North Alabama 94-52 for their third straight win and flashed a perimeter attack that looked more dangerous by the minute. The headline was the shooting: Miami set a program record with 20 made three-pointers, with Brent Bland pouring in 26 points and Nick Dorn adding 18 as the Hurricanes buried the Lions early and never let up.
What stood out beyond the scoring binge was how complete the performance looked. Miami shot 34-of-70 from the field, piled up 27 assists and forced 10 steals, all while controlling the glass and turning the game into a showcase for pace and ball movement. For a team ranked No. 17, it was the kind of night that suggests this offense may have found a gear that can travel well once the competition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Fletcher Jr. Just Changed A Miami Record Book Forever
Mark Fletcher Jr. has spent enough time in Miamis backfield to start leaving a real imprint on the programs record book, and he did it again against Duke. By scoring his 36th career rushing touchdown, Fletcher moved past Stephen McGuire for the most in Hurricanes history, a milestone that speaks to both his consistency and how often Miami has leaned on him in scoring situations.
Fletchers night carried even more weight because the touchdown also pushed him to 39 career scores overall, making him Miamis career leader in total touchdowns. With Miami holding a 13-10 lead over Duke at halftime, the Hurricanes had plenty of game left to manage, but Fletchers place in school history was already secure and the rest of the night only added to the significance of what he had just done. [Read more 🡒]