Miami’s 2026 schedule is loaded with quarterbacks, but only a handful really jump off the page as the kind of players who can tilt a game. A few are proven, a few are still waiting for their breakout, and a few sit somewhere in between - dangerous because of what they might become, not just what they’ve already shown.
The back half of the list is where the projection starts to matter most. Duke’s Walker Eget and Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez both have starting experience, but neither has done enough to suggest a major jump in 2026.
Eget played the entire 2025 season on a torn ACL and finished with a completion rate under 60%. Lopez is on his third school in four years after a rough stint at North Carolina.
There’s talent there, but not enough to push either into the top four without more evidence.
Florida State’s Ashton Daniels has nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns over four years as a starter and only recently won a job battle against a redshirt freshman. Boston College and North Carolina still head into fall camp without a clearly settled starter, while Stanford is turning to a Michigan transfer after a 4-8 season.
That leaves the four quarterbacks Miami has to circle.
At No. 4 is Clemson’s Christopher Vizzina, who will face Miami on Oct. 3.
He’s the purest projection on the list. Vizzina has just one career start in three years behind Cade Klubnik, but it was a strong one: 317 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a home win over SMU.
Clemson brought him in as a four-star recruit after he chose the Tigers over Georgia, Ohio State and Notre Dame, and he threw for more than 5,000 yards in high school. Skepticism is fair, but a new offensive coordinator in Chad Morris and a full offseason as the clear starter give him a real chance to look better by the time Miami gets there in Week 5.
No. 3 is Virginia Tech’s Ethan Grunkemeyer, who will be on the other side Nov. 20.
He had only 11 career pass attempts before Drew Allar’s ankle injury in Week 6 last season forced him into action at Penn State, but he handled the spot well. Grunkemeyer completed 69% of his throws and saved his best for the Pinstripe Bowl, where he put up a career-high 260 yards and two touchdowns against Clemson.
He followed James Franklin from Penn State to Virginia Tech this offseason, and Franklin brought transfers and commits with him. Now Grunkemeyer gets a full offseason to settle into his own offense with more help around him.
Pittsburgh’s Mason Heintschel comes in at No. 2, and the upside is obvious. He took over four games into his true freshman season and immediately looked like one of the more gifted young passers in the country, averaging 302 passing yards per game while starting 5-0.
The finish wasn’t as sharp - he dropped to 202 yards per game over his final four starts - but the arm talent is still there. With a full offseason in coordinator Kade Bell’s system, a sophomore leap is very much on the table before Miami sees him on Oct.
And then there’s Notre Dame’s CJ Carr at No. 1, who will face Miami on Nov. 7.
This one stands apart. Carr threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions in his first season as Notre Dame’s starter, and he enters 2026 with some of the best Heisman odds in the country, ahead of Arch Manning and Miami’s own Darian Mensah.
He’s the only quarterback on Miami’s schedule drawing real national award buzz, and he’s doing it with a Notre Dame roster that brings back a lot of production. Miami’s 27-24 win over Notre Dame last August ended up shaping its playoff path in December, and this rematch in South Bend should matter just as much, especially with Miami still replacing first-round pass rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor.
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