Miami’s mood after the Wake Forest game is plain enough: angry.
There’s no sugarcoating inside the program, and no attempt to explain away what happened in the second half. The respect for Wake Forest is there, but so is the frustration. Everybody around the team knows the finish wasn’t good enough, and everybody knows the group has to be a lot better.
One area that remains very much in flux is the offensive line. The best way to describe it right now is “fluid.” Miami is still trying to identify its best five, and what it has put on the field so far clearly isn’t the answer.
From what Mario said on WQAM, and from what I’ve heard independently, the staff’s biggest focus seems to be at guard rather than center or tackle. That should mean some new combinations this weekend.
Ben Congdon and Jackson Cantwell have been the names to watch at right guard, splitting first-team reps throughout camp. But another young player who could work his way into the mix is Rhys Woodrow, who already carries a lot of responsibility in punt protection and offers center/guard versatility. Canon Pickett is another option who could enter the rotation with that group.
The challenge with freshmen, especially the big ones, is obvious: they can look dominant on two snaps and then lose one badly enough to change a game, or even a season. At the same time, the older players haven’t delivered the consistency Miami needs, and those veterans are only second-year guys themselves. This is still a work in progress, and the expectation is that the staff keeps tinkering until the line looks playoff caliber.
Injuries are another area where the staff is staying extremely quiet. There doesn’t appear to be a ton of concern overall, with Marty Brown and Josh Moore standing out as the two biggest worries.
Those are tough losses to absorb. The two players Miami wants to see step up in their place are Jordan Lyle and Somourian Wingo.
At linebacker, Ezekiel Marcelin’s injury came at a bad time because the group needs more depth there. Those two starting spots do not sound locked in for the rest of the year.
On the recruiting front, Miami is being very deliberate about senior film and grading its own prospects. A number of players have stood out: QB Israel Abrams, RB Ty Keys, WRs Nick Lennear and Eli Woodard, ATH A'mir Sears, DE Jaiden Bryant, DL Josh Johnson, LB Noah Glover and CB Sherrod Gourdine.
And while the staff is still working on the current roster, there’s no hiding the fact that it wants another major move in 2027. Three names are clearly at the top of that list: OT Mark Matthews, DE DJ Jacobs and TE Jaxon Dollar.
In Other News...
Miami's Wake Forest Win Came With A Brutal Price
Miamis win over Wake Forest did more than keep the Hurricanes moving forward in the schedule. It also left the depth chart thinner, with coach Mario Cristobal confirming that running back Marty Brown suffered a season-ending knee injury in the game. Wide receiver Josh Moore will also be out for the rest of the year after an upper-body injury, while linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. is expected to miss several weeks.
The timing makes the injuries especially painful for a Miami team trying to stay steady through the grind of the season. Cristobal did offer a few useful updates beyond the bad news, and Jordan Lyle is available to play again after serving consequences tied to a legal issue. For Miami, the challenge now is not just replacing production, but doing it without letting one tough afternoon reshape the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Miami's Injury Problem Just Got Worse Before Central Michigan
Mario Cristobals postgame injury update after Miamis win over Wake Forest brought a sharper edge to what had already been a physical stretch for the Hurricanes. CharMar Brown and Josh Moore are done for the season, and Eezekiel Marcelin is expected to miss a few weeks with a lower-body injury, leaving Miami to sort through another round of personnel hits on both sides of the ball.
The timing is hardly ideal with Central Michigan next on the schedule, especially with Malachi Toney and Mark Fletcher Jr. also dealing with bumps but still projected to be available. Miami has managed to keep moving forward, but the injury list is starting to touch enough key spots that each practice rep matters a little more than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Suddenly Has A Big Offensive Depth Question
Miamis offense took another hit this week when Mario Cristobal confirmed that running back CharMar Marty Brown and wide receiver Joshua Moore are both done for the rest of the 2026 season because of injuries. Browns setback came on a right knee hyperextension against Wake Forest, while Moore is dealing with an upper-body injury, leaving the Hurricanes to sort through another round of personnel changes at two spots where depth matters.
For a team trying to keep its offense on track, the timing is especially tough because these are the kinds of injuries that force younger players into bigger roles before they may be fully ready. Miami now has to lean on the next wave in the room, and the coming weeks will show how well the Hurricanes can absorb those losses without letting the depth chart become a bigger issue than the injuries themselves. [Read more 🡒]