Miami Hurricanes' Offseason Moves Earn Rave Reviews

The Miami Hurricanes came within a few minutes of winning a national championship last season.

But the team lost several key pieces this offseason including edge-rushers Rueben Bain Jr. (Round 1 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Akheem Mesidor (Round 1 to the Los Angeles Chargers), offensive tackles Francis Maiugoa (Round 1 to the New York Giants) and Markel Bell (Round 3 to the Philadelphia Eagles), quarterback Carson Beck (Round 3 to the Arizona Cardinals), cornerback Keionte Scott (Round 4 to the Bucs), and several others.

But the Hurricanes reloaded with transfer QB Darian Mensah and receiver Cooper Barkate from Duke, and edge-rusher Damon Wilson II from Missouri, as well as bringing in a top-rated recruiting class that features five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, four-star WRs Somourian Wingo and Milan Parris, and four-star edge-rusher Asharri Charles.

Those additions are why Eli Lederman, Max Olson and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN recently named Miami as having the best offseason of any team in the ACC.

"The Hurricanes were hunting for another elite passer to succeed Cam Ward and Carson Beck and managed to get a last-minute deal done with Mensah at the portal deadline," Lederman, Olson, and Rittenberg wrote. "The All-ACC performer threw for nearly 4,000 yards with 34 TDs while leading Duke to a conference title last season.

"He brought Barkate, his 1,100-yard receiver, with him from Durham, and Miami added more complementary options at receiver around Malachi Toney with Cam Vaughn (West Virginia) and Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina). Miami also won the battle for one of the top pass-rushers in the portal in Wilson, and it won’t be surprising if he plays his way into first-round hype this fall.

"Star running back Mark Fletcher Jr., linebacker Mohamed Toure and several more key starters staying in school for another year was a big boost, as was a top-10 recruiting class led by Cantwell, the No. 1-ranked offensive tackle prospect, and a dozen more ESPN 300 signees."

Why It Matters

After coming up short 27-21 in the national championship game against No. 1-ranked Indiana, many expected the Hurricanes to compete for another national title shot next season after improving at QB, adding a 1,000-yard receiver, and replacing one of the top pass-rushers in the country with an equally talented pass-rusher.

Head coach Mario Cristobal has expectations sky-high in Coral Gables, and after improving every year he's been with the Hurricanes, he's proven he can build a College Football Playoff contender through both the portal and with recruiting.

Miami's offense should be drastically better next year with the additions of Mensah and Barkate, and after the Hurricanes got a taste of national relevance again, it'll be tough to keep them out of the national championship picture again in 2026.

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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 5:15 PM.