Miami Hurricanes: Five to Watch in 2026
By Stiofán Mac Fhilib
It took Head Coach Mario Cristobal four seasons to get his beloved Hurricanes to the national title game after returning to his alma mater. They had possession inside Indiana territory with under 45 seconds to play in a six-point game, but in the end, they just could not get it done.
With his appetite whetted, Cristobal will surely be aiming one step higher in 2026, but after losing nine players to the recent NFL draft, including six in the first two days, he faces key challenges. Will the transfer portal arrivals provide the solutions? ACC title hopes, and a meaningful playoff run may well depend upon it.
With Carson Beck drafted 65th overall by the Cardinals, Cristobal again turned to the portal for an experienced signal-caller. Mensah’s impressive RS Freshman season with Tulane earned him a spot on the Duke roster in 2025. There, he threw for almost 4,000 yards, with 34 TDs and just 6 INTs, leading the Blue Devils to their first ACC Championship in 36 years.
Mensah signed a high-profile new NIL deal to stay in Durham, NC, but that lasted only until the Hurricanes offered significantly more. The ensuing legal dispute was settled out of court, and Miami had its new starter under center. Mensah was a second-team All-ACC selection a year ago, and he’ll be joined in South Florida by another former Duke player who earned that same accolade, WR Cooper Barkate. His chemistry with a receiver who caught 72 of his passes for over 1,100 yards and seven TDs is an excellent start. But the Hurricanes’ WR talent certainly doesn’t stop there…
Toney, who played his High School football on the Hurricanes’ doorstep, enjoyed a sensational true Freshman season with The U. He even managed 4.9 yards per carry – and a TD – as a runner, completed 4 of 7 passes, including a pair of TDs, and returned punts. But for the avoidance of doubt, it was very much as a Freshman All-American WR that Toney shot to prominence.
He earned a host of well-deserved ACC and national honours as he terrorised defenses across the ACC and beyond. 109 catches for 1,211 yards and 10 TDs may be a difficult target to reach again in 2026, but he has a prolific QB, a robust OL, and another WR who may be able to take some of the additional heat off him. His game-changing ability is key to the Hurricanes’ hopes for 2026.
Two years ahead of Toney, but from the same nearby American Heritage HS, Fletcher Jr. gives Miami one of the better RB threats in college football in 2026. In three seasons in Coral Gables, he has rushed for over 2,300 yards and 26 TDs, as well as being a receiving threat from the backfield.
After rushing for 172, 90, 133 and 112 yards in four playoff games last postseason, Cristobal will likely want to lighten his regular-season load where possible. A healthy Fletcher Jr. in January 2027 would be the perfect complement to an offense featuring Mensah, Toney and Barkate.
Reuben Bain Jr and Akheem Mesidor wreaked havoc off the edge for the Hurricanes a year ago, playing a huge role in Miami’s championship game run, before hearing their names called in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Crisotbal then turned to the SEC to lure Wilson from Missouri back to his native Florida.
After two seasons at Georgia, he was third in the SEC with nine sacks in 2025 for Mizzou. He also had 23 total tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss, earning him second-team all-conference recognition. With two home-grown, imposing DTs beside him, in Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott, and a supporting cast rotating at the other DE position, he should be well-placed to disrupt opposing pass games regularly.
The Hurricanes also suffered significant attrition in the draft in the defensive backfield. Safety Jakobe Thomas went to the Vikings in the third round, while a round later, nickel Keionte Scott stayed in-state with the Buccaneers.
Fortunately, the likes of Poyser are primed to step into a much bigger role this campaign. The Jacksonville State transfer and Florida native started all 16 games in 2025 and showed positive growth during the season, saving much of his best form for the playoff run. He logged 6, 5, 4 and 6 tackles in the post-season games, and earned an All-ACC honourable mention. The ’Canes will need him to take his game to the next level in 2026, but the talent is clearly there.
STIOFÁN MAC FHILIB
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
A VERY LONG-DISTANCE SUBWAY ALUMNUS OF NOTRE DAME, COUNTY ANTRIM-BASED STIOFÁN HAS BEEN A FAN OF THE FIGHTING IRISH SINCE 2000. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @SMACFHILIB.