Jon Rothstein sees Miami as more than just a dangerous ACC team. After Malik Reneau was granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA to pursue a fifth year of eligibility, Rothstein put the Hurricanes in a different conversation entirely: top-10 status.
The reaction came after Miami’s basketball social media account posted a teaser video of Reneau walking into the practice facility. Rothstein quoted the post and wrote: "Malik Reneau + Shelton Henderson + Acaden Lewis = the nucleus of a team that could finish in the Top 3 of the ACC in 2026-27. Miami --- as of today --- is Top-10 good."
That kind of praise would put this group in rare air for the Hurricanes. Miami has only cracked the preseason top 15 twice in program history, doing it in 2017-18 and again in 2023-24. But this roster is drawing enough attention to suggest it could push that standard even higher, with the depth and length to make a real run in the NCAA Tournament.
Even before the Reneau news, Rothstein had Miami comfortably inside his top 25, ranking the Hurricanes No. 18 in the country, just behind No. 17 St.
John’s and No. 16 BYU.
The buzz around this team starts with Jai Lucas, who delivered a strong first season in Coral Gables. Miami finished 26-9 overall and 13-5 in ACC play, then returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the Final Four run. The Hurricanes beat 10-seed Missouri before falling to Purdue in the Round of 32.
Lucas then rebuilt the roster after losing Tre Donaldson, Tru Washington, and Ernest Udeh Jr. Acaden Lewis arrives as one of the best and most efficient point guards in the country, while Georgia transfer Somto Cyril is expected to be one of the ACC’s top defenders.
Shelton Henderson and Dante Allen are back, five-star freshman Caleb Gaskins brings major expectations, and Robert Morris transfer DeSean Goode adds frontcourt help. Indiana transfer Nick Dorn and St.
Peter’s transfer Brent Bland round out the backcourt additions.
In Other News...
Abella Danger Is Becoming A Hurricanes Sideshow Fans Can't Ignore
Abella Danger has become a familiar face around Miami Hurricanes football, turning up at games and drawing plenty of attention beyond the field. The University of Miami senior law student, who previously worked in the adult film industry, has found herself part of the conversation around the program as her presence both inside the stadium and online keeps circulating well beyond the fan base.
The latest wave came after a viral video in which she spoke about the way younger fans view her, adding another layer to a public profile that already stretches from campus to social media. She has also said she wants to build a future as an NFL sports agent, but for now her visibility has created a mix of curiosity and pushback, and she has apologized for any distraction the attention has caused. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Title Loss Just Got A Strange New Sideline Explanation
For a brief stretch in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Miami had a problem few coaches ever want to deal with in that setting: the headset communication went down just as Malachai Toney was scoring a 22-yard touchdown. It was a strange interruption in a title game already carrying plenty of weight, and it added another layer to a night that ended with Indiana on top.
The explanation has been even stranger. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said the disruption stemmed from President Trumps early departure from the stadium, and that account has been backed in part by multiple sources, including Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and Miami insiders. The outage only lasted a few plays and did not alter the final result, but for Miami it leaves behind one more odd detail from a championship loss that already had enough of them. [Read more 🡒]
Miami's Playoff Path Just Got Tougher Than Hurricanes Fans Realize
Miamis road to the College Football Playoff is about to get a little more complicated, and not just because of what happens on the field. Starting in late November, the selection committee will begin factoring in a conference-strength metric when it evaluates the field, adding another layer to the usual comparison of records, rsums and schedule quality. The idea is to give the committee more context when two teams have similar records but have taken very different routes to get there.
For the Hurricanes, that matters because the new approach is expected to help leagues like the SEC and Big Ten, while potentially making life harder for teams in the ACC and Big 12. Miami can still build a playoff case the old-fashioned way, but the margin for error just shrank. In a race where perception already carries weight, the conference a team plays in is about to matter even more than many fans probably realized. [Read more 🡒]